Glossary of Terms

This section provides definitions for some of the key terms related to the brain and early childhood development. To find the definition of a particular word, use the alphabet key (below) to navigate to that section of the alphabet.

— A —

Adolescence–

time of life between puberty and adulthood or maturity; the teenage years

Adrenaline –

non-technical term for hormone epinephrine (see definition for epinephrine)

Amygdala –

part of limbic system in the brain; responsible for receiving and integrating emotions and emotional information

Apnea –

temporary stopping of breathing

ARA, arachidonic acid –

fatty acid, or lipid substance, found in breast milk and in brain tissue

Associative play –

the practice of children’s play in which children share toys and attempt to work together

Atrophy –

wasting away or failure of a body part to develop

Attachment –

the formation of a close emotional bond between infants and the adults who regularly care for them

Axon –

the neuron's long fiber that carries impulses away from the cell to other neurons

top

 — B —

Bonding –

connecting relationship between two people; part of the process of forming an attachment

Brain –

the organ that controls all of our bodily processes, including basic functions such as breathing and digestion, automatic processes such as reflexes, and conscious processes such as thinking, language, memory, movements and coordination

Brain stem –

one of the four major parts of the brain, it monitors basic, vital functions such as heartbeat, body temperature, and digestion. The brain stem is the first part of the brain to develop.

 — C —

Cell body –

the command center of the neuron that makes decisions about whether or not to send electrical impulses to other neurons

Cerebellum–

one of four major parts of the brain, it controls automatic and reflexive actions, such as a newborn’s sucking. The cerebellum develops after the brain stem, but before the parts of the brain responsible for conscious thought and action.

Cerebral cortex–

one of four major parts of the brain, it controls most of our conscious, voluntary actions. The cerebral cortex is the last part of the brain to finish developing, and development is not complete until the mid 20s.

Childcare settings–

places away from home where young children are cared for by responsible adults, usually someone other than the parent

Cognitive development–

development of thinking, reasoning, judgment, memory and problem solving abilities

Conception–

point at which human egg and sperm join and the human embryo forms

Connection–

linkage of one nerve cell to other nerve cells across a microscopic space in which chemicals act to move impulses or messages among nerve cells

Consistency–

creating a positive environment for a young child that is predictable, orderly, and has routines for necessary activities like meals and sleep, yet is flexible

Cooperative play–

play activities in which children act out complimentary roles in a shared scenario.  The children divide the roles, decide what roles will be played by each child, and work together in the decision making process during the play

Corpus callosum–

the band of fibers that connects the two hemispheres, allowing communication between the right and left sides of the brain

Cortisol –

a stress hormone that is released to help our bodies deal with threats

 — D — 

Dendrites –

the extensions of a neuron that receive impulses from nearby neurons

Developmental milestones –

abilities and skills that young children typically achieve at certain points in their lives.  Examples of developmental milestones include ability to use language, ability to regulate emotions

Discipline –

setting limits on behavior; not punishment, but a loving way to teach a child to know appropriate behavior, and how to control his or her own behavior

DHA, docasahexaenoic acid –

long-chain fatty acid found in breast milk and also in tissue in eye and brain

Domain –

area of developmental activities; term by which activities of development are grouped

 — E —

Early childhood –

generally considered to be the first five years of a child’s life

Emotional development domain –

the area of development concerned with the child’s awareness of self, how the child feels about himself, and how he expresses his feelings

Enzymes –

protein-based substance that acts as a catalyst to initiate or speed up specific chemical reactions in the body

Epinephrine –

hormone secreted by adrenal gland above kidney, that stimulates heart rate, strength and endurance; can be released in stressful situations; may be called adrenaline

 — F —

Fetal Alcohol Syndrome–

a complex of birth defects including cardiac or neural abnormalities and physical and mental growth retardation, occurring in an infant as a result of excess alcohol consumption by the mother during pregnancy

Frontal lobe–

the part of the brain located behind the forehead that is involved in critical thinking, problem solving, planning, reasoning, and decision making

 — G —

Gene –

unit on chromosomes by which hereditary characteristics are transmitted and determined

Genetic –

having to do with the hereditary characteristics of a person

Growth factors –

a genetic, hormonal or nutritional substance that promotes and is needed for growth

 — H —

Hemoglobin –

the protein substance in red blood cells that contains iron, which binds with oxygen and carries oxygen to the brain and other body cells and carbon dioxide back to the lungs

Hippocampus –

part of the limbic system that processes emotions and memories

Hormone –

a substance produced by one tissue and conveyed by the bloodstream to another to effect physiological activity, such as growth

 — I —

Immune factors –

Components found in breast milk that promote brain development by providing protection from infections

Immunization –

providing specific antibodies that protect a child’s (or adult’s) body against harmful diseases

Insecure attachment –

a bond formed between infant and adult that is lacking in consistency, responsiveness and full trust and may cause the infant to feel angry, anxious, distressed or conflicted

Iron deficiency anemia –

insufficient iron present in the body to produce enough hemoglobin, the substance in red blood cells that carries oxygen to the brain and other body cells; results in lessened energy production and in young children, in limitations in cognitive development

 — L —

Lead –

a heavy metal that formerly (prior to 1978 in the U.S.) was used in paint and may be found in other processes and equipment or items, such as batteries and old pipes; when lead-containing substances chip or dissolve in water and/or are consumed or chewed by people, particularly young children, lead poisoning affecting blood, brain and cognitive abilities can occur

Lead poisoning –

poisoning caused by the absorption of excess lead into the body; it can result in anemia; in young children the body tends to deposit excess amounts of lead in brain tissue where it can result in limitation of brain development and impaired cognitive development

Left hemisphere –

the half of the brain that processes specific details of a situation

Limbic system –

the structures of the brain that register and store emotional information

Lipids –

fatty substances found in foods and in the body

Lobe –

one of four sections or areas of the brain; each of the four lobes performs specific functions

 — M —

Medical home –

the concept of a team approach to providing high quality, cost effective health care that is accessible, continuous, available around the clock every day of the week, comprehensive, coordinated, family centered and respectful of culture of the family and patients served

Migration –

movement of neurons to pre-determined locations in the brain

Motor cortex –

band of fibers at the front of the parietal lobe that controls function of muscles that move the body

Myelin –

a fatty substance that surrounds and insulates a neuron's axon

Myelination –

the process of forming a coating or sheath of fatty substances known as  myelin on the axon of a neuron

 — N —

Neural migration –

the movement of neurons to predetermined locations in the brain

Neural pathway –

a series of synapses that form a network in the brain

Neuron –

the basic cell making up the brain and nervous system, which receives electrical impulses from other neurons and sends out those impulses through networks of connections

Neurochemicals –

chemicals formed in the body that transmit impulses or messages among brain cells 

Neurogenesis –

the process of forming neurons

Neuroscience –

the study of the nervous system and the brain

Neurotransmitter –

a chemical that carries information in the brain and affects communication between neurons

Newborn period –

the first month after an infant’s birth

Nutrient –

substance in foods that is essential for and contributes in a specific way to growth; e.g. protein, vitamins, minerals; nutrients work together and the body needs a number of different nutrients for growth and health

Nutrient dense –

foods that contain a high proportion of nutrients in relation to calories or energy

— O —

Occipital Lobe –

part of the brain, located at the rear of the cerebrum, where vision is processed

 — P —

Parallel play –

play process where a child plays side by side with one or more children and uses the same materials, but the children do not interact, work together, or share the materials

Parietal lobe –

part of the brain located on the crown of the head that processes sensory information for smell, taste and touch. An area at the front of the parietal lobe called the motor cortex is responsible for motor coordination.

Physical development domain –

the area of development concerned with how the child’s body, muscles, and senses grow and develop

Positive guidance –

setting and explaining limits in a positive, loving manner to guide a child’s behavior, and helping the child to know what is the desired action or behavior so the child can learn how to control his or her own behavior

Positron Emission Tomography (PET scan) –

a brain imaging technology that generates a computerized image of the brain's structure and of the activity levels in various parts of the brain

Prenatal care –

comprehensive care, including medical care and consideration of social and related needs, provided to the mother throughout her pregnancy;

Prenatal period –

the period of development from conception to birth

Pruning –

the selective elimination or "weeding out" of non-essential synapses based on a child’s specific experiences

 — R —

Recommended daily dietary allowances –

amounts of essential nutrients that should be included in the diet to enable healthy individuals in the general population to be well nourished and achieve and maintain good health

Right hemisphere –

the half of the brain that synthesizes experiences by giving a general, overall impression of what is happening

 — S —  

Second hand tobacco smoke –

smoke from tobacco products that someone other than the child (or adult) is using, but by being in the area the person breathes the smoke in the air second hand; thought to cause respiratory problems for children, and for both children and adults causes some of the same health problems that a smoker would experience

Secure attachment –

a strong, positive bond between infant and adult

Self-directed activity –

play as engaged in by a young child; decision by the child  without other direction regarding the type, duration and materials used in the activity

Self-regulation –

a child’s ability to know acceptable and unacceptable behavior, and organize and control behavior to act in generally acceptable ways

Sensitive period –

an optimal period for the development and pruning of connections in a particular part of the brain

Separation anxiety –

distress shown by securely attached infants when a parent leaves them

Shaken baby syndrome –

forceful shaking of an infant or young child, before protective brain coatings and structure have developed, that causes serious and permanent damage to brain cells or even death

Sippee (sippy) cup –

cup with nipple-like spout and restriction of liquid flow; used in transitioning an infant and toddler from breast or bottle nipple to cup

Social development domain –

the area of development concerned with how the child relates to, plays with, and talks to, others

Solitary play –

first stage of play, in which a child plays alone

Stranger anxiety –

behaviors such as clinging and crying in securely attached infants when a person they do not know enters the room

Stress –

the by-product of our perceived inability to cope with pressures, changes, demands and challenges

Stress response –

the heightened state of arousal that our body goes through when it perceives a threat

Stressor –

a condition or stimulus that causes stress to an organism

Sudden infant death syndrome, SIDS –

sudden and permanent stopping of breathing in an infant resulting in death, the causes of which are not completely known; placing a young infant on the back for sleep has been found to reduce incidence

Synapse –

the microscopic gap between the axon of one neuron and the dendrite of another

Synapse formation –

the process of creating synapses, or connections, between neurons

Synaptic overproduction –

rapid formation in the first few years of more synapses or connections than are actually needed

Synaptogenesis –

the process of creating synapses, or connections, between neurons

 — T —

Temporal lobe –

part of the brain located above the ears that is responsible for hearing, speech, and some learning and memory

Third party payer –

not the patient or provider of health care services, but the organization that holds the patient’s insurance funds and handles the payments of the charges, usually an insurance company or public program that covers the medical costs

Toxin –

any of various poisonous compounds that may occur in air, soil, water, food, or materials, and cause certain diseases when they enter or come in contact with the body