Brain Development
Introduction
The brain develops at an astonishing rate starting from conception. In the first ten years of a child's life, their brain will have made billions of connections. By the time the individual grows older, the brain will continue to grow and make more connections. The main contributions to a developing brain are biological genes, the enviornment, and different critical periods. In this paper, the following will be elaborated on: (a) fetal brain development, (b) brain development in children, (c) brain development in adults, and (d) brain development in the elderly.
Fetal Brain Development During the time of conception, the embryo is growing rapidly. The brain and the spinal cord start to form during the first couple weeks of pregnancy. According to an article by Bridget Coila, “by the 11th week, the brain has become separated into different recognizable parts such as the cerebellum and cerebral hemisphere. These gain further detail as smaller brain structures develop within the brain” (Coila, 2011). Nutrition at this point is very important because without the proper nutrition, the mother will not be able to pass important nutrients to their baby. There was a study done recently on how reducing diet early in pregnancy can cause major impairments in fetal brain development. “The researchers found decreased formation of cell-to-cell connections, cell division and amounts of growth factors in the fetuses of mothers fed a reduced diet during the first half of pregnancy” (Anonymous, 2011).
Children Brain Development
Biological genes are roles that are important when it comes to brain development. Some learning disabilities like ADHA and depression may result from biological genes. There has been a study done in 1970 that studied monkeys and rats. According to the study, “young children who were raised in a poor enviornment with one or two copies of the short allele of the serotonin gene promoter polymorphism were at risk for depression in adult life”
The brain develops at an astonishing rate starting from conception. In the first ten years of a child's life, their brain will have made billions of connections. By the time the individual grows older, the brain will continue to grow and make more connections. The main contributions to a developing brain are biological genes, the enviornment, and different critical periods. In this paper, the following will be elaborated on: (a) fetal brain development, (b) brain development in children, (c) brain development in adults, and (d) brain development in the elderly.
Fetal Brain Development During the time of conception, the embryo is growing rapidly. The brain and the spinal cord start to form during the first couple weeks of pregnancy. According to an article by Bridget Coila, “by the 11th week, the brain has become separated into different recognizable parts such as the cerebellum and cerebral hemisphere. These gain further detail as smaller brain structures develop within the brain” (Coila, 2011). Nutrition at this point is very important because without the proper nutrition, the mother will not be able to pass important nutrients to their baby. There was a study done recently on how reducing diet early in pregnancy can cause major impairments in fetal brain development. “The researchers found decreased formation of cell-to-cell connections, cell division and amounts of growth factors in the fetuses of mothers fed a reduced diet during the first half of pregnancy” (Anonymous, 2011).
Children Brain Development
Biological genes are roles that are important when it comes to brain development. Some learning disabilities like ADHA and depression may result from biological genes. There has been a study done in 1970 that studied monkeys and rats. According to the study, “young children who were raised in a poor enviornment with one or two copies of the short allele of the serotonin gene promoter polymorphism were at risk for depression in adult life”