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The sequence in which the fastest groth occurs at the top of the body--the head--with physical growth in size, weight, and feature differentiation gradually working from top to bottom.
Cephalocaudal pattern
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The sequence in which growth starts at the center of the body and moves toward the extremities.
Proximodistal pattern
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A period of rapid physical maturation involving hormonal and bodily changes that take place primarily in early adolescence.
Puberty
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A girl's first menstruation
Menarche
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Very early onset and rapid progression of puberty.
Precocious puberty
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Powerful chemical substances secreted by the endocrine glands and carried through the body by the bloodstream.
Hormones
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the main class of male sex hormones
Androgens
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The main class of female sex hormones
Estrogens
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An androgen that is a key hormone in a boys' pubertal development
Testosterone
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An estrogen that is a key hormone in girls' pubertal development
Estradiol
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Specialization of functions in one hemisphere of the crebral cortex or the other
Lateralization
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Brain area where fibers connect the brain's left and right hemispheres.
Corpus callosum
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The highest level of the frontal lobes that is involved in reasoning, decision making, and self-control
Prefrontal cortex
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The seat of emotions in the brain.
Amygdala
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A condition that occurs when an infant stops breathing, usually during the night, and suddenly dies without an apparent cause.
Sudden infant death syndrome
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Severe malnutrition caused by an insufficient protein-calorie intake, resulting in a shrunken, elderly appearance.
Marasmus
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Severe malnutrition caused by a protein-deficient diet, causing the feet and abdomen to swell with water.
Kwashiorkor
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