Human lifespan and development

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Deauval wallace

Unit 4 - Life Span Development

Physical Growth & Development

Conception

This happens when a male and female engage in unprotected sexual intercourse. During sexual intercourse the man will in time ejaculate, releasing semen into the woman's vagina. They then travel up the cervix and into the endometrium (uterus) towards the egg. At this time the women is hopefully at her fertility period of her menstruation cycle. One sperm then burrows itself into the egg. This process is called fertilisation. The woman is technically now pregnant.

Pregnancy

A fertilised egg (zygote) begins to divide itself. First into two cells then four then eight etc until it becomes a ball of small cells called a blastocyst. The embryo must then bury itself in the uterus before the next menstruation to release a hormone if not the embryo will be flushed out of the body with other waste products during the bleeding period of the cycle. By five weeks the embryo has started developing a brain, heart, eyes, ears and limbs. At eight weeks all major organs have been formed and the foetus has now got a human-looking face with finger toes. The body is now 3cm.

Early Childhood - Babies

A newborn baby (neonate) is a helpless individual that needs care and protection from parent or others to survive. The digestive, nervous & immune system has not yet developed properly (that is why it is advised to give your baby breast milk for the first month or so because it contains contents that can help the baby's immune system). There are three reflexes that newborn babies are able to do. Rooting reflex is when the baby turn their heads towards the touch on their cheek. Grasp reflex is when the baby grasps your finger tightly after placing your finger on the palm of their hand. Finally the startle reflex when a baby is startled they throw their hands and arms outwards, arching their back and straightening their legs. Babies also gain body control from the ages 0 – 12 months. From 0 – 1 month babies are able to lift their head slightly. From 6 months babies are able to pass an object from one hand to another. From 9 – 10 months babies are able to crawl. And from 12 months babies are able to stand without any means of support.  

Later Childhood – Infants

The nervous system sensory organs & head grows rapidly from 0 – 6yrs however, the reproductive organs remain small and undeveloped until puberty. They start to develop their first set of teeth (milk teeth) from the ages of six months to three years. From the ages of six years milk teeth are gradually replaced to permanent teeth. Infants are able to recognise and interact with people and they recognise their mothers face and voice. Form ages 3 onwards children practical abilities start to develop. At the age of 2 years toddlers are able to run and climb stairs. At 3 years toddlers are able to redefine their motor skills such as balance when walking and eye and hand coordination. 4 years toddlers become more balanced when walking and they can walk up and down stairs without support. Finally by the age of  6 or 7 a child maybe able to skip and ride a bicycle.

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Puberty & Adolescence

Puberty is the physical change which accompanies the emotional changes of adolescence it is cause in the hypothalamus part in the brain influencing the pituitary endocrine grand to release hormones such as gondothrophins. Puberty starts from between the ages of 10 to 15 years this is when secondary sexual characteristics develop and sexual organs mature for reproduction. The process of puberty is accompanied by growth spurt in weight and height.

With puberty in girls the hormone gondothrophins stimulates the ovaries to produce the hormone oestrogen. From the ages of 10 to 11 years girls breast ...

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