Physical development is the development of the body from conception until death. Physical development allows us to reach our full potiential over time. Within a cell, where the development process starts, the nucleus contains hereditary material that makes up our DNA ,which creates our genes. Genes from our parents are what make us different from one another. Our genes are developed through a set of 46 chromosomes, one set of 23 from each parent. The genes from our parents are expressed through alleles, dominant and recessive. The dominant and recessive allele matches are what determine our dominant and recessive traits, such as dark hair and thin lips. However, to develop a recessive trait, the recessive allele must come from both parents.
Physical development takes places in a number of different stages and they all contribute different characteristics. Prenatal Development is divided into three month sections called trimesters: Germinal period (weeks 1 & 2), Embryonic period (weeks 3-8), and Fetal period (months 2-9). In the germinal stage the sex organs, eyes and ears start to appear. During the Embryonic period or the second trimester the distinct sex organs begin to appear. In the third trimester or the fetal stage the eyes are able to open and all the body parts are formed.
Infant Physical Development refers to two distinct physical patterns of growth, cephalocaudal and proximodistal. Cephalocaudal growth starts at the top of the head and moves downward, in this growth pattern infants gain control of their head first. Proximodistal growth starts in the center of the infant body first and moves outward, in this growth pattern infants develop the ablity to use their hands first. In addition to the physical patterns of growth in infants, they also develop motor and perceptual skills such as crawling and walking.
In Childhood Development there is a change in weight, height, reproductive growth and brain cells. All of these types of growth can be affected by genetic and environmental factors. Motor development in this stage ranges by age, for example from the ages of 2 to 2 1/2 years the child develops the galloping technique. During this stage of development children also begin to use more complex language to communicate with their caregiver.
Adolescent Development is the time when children move from childhood into adult majority, which also causes a change in social and emotional feelings. During Adolescent Development puberty happens, puberty is the process when the body develops well enough for sexual reproduction. The mean beginning ages for puberty in the United States is 11.5 years in males and 12.5 in females. The onset of menstruation is the hallmark of puberty for females and ejaculation for males.
My personal adolescent development began when I was in the sixth grade. I experienced menarche, the onset of my menstruation, around the eighth grade, and just as they are supposed to, things changed. My body began to develop in certain areas, some more than others, and it showed. However, I did not have sexual experiences earlier due to my earlier start of puberty, but I did mature quicker than those around me. My cognitive development was at the top of the charts. But my emotional development, still to this day, does not seem as if it is fully together. I have younger cousins that experienced menstruation younger than I did when I was growing up. That goes to show how effective the secular trend is, because things changed within the environment around them every day which caused them to experience things earlier than usual. I always thought that there were things that they made with the food that we consume that cause quicker changes than usual in kids now. It is also fairly true that girls mature faster than boys because my younger girl cousins' act older than my little brother, who I don't think, has experienced puberty yet, but I am not too sure.
For the development of my career, it is important to know that boys and girls physiologically develop at different times. Therefore, I cannot expect as much from my males students as I would my females students. The popular saying that girls mature faster than boys is what I would have to dwell on mostly because it will apply to all situations. However, I have made the choice to deal with smaller kids so I will not have to worry so much about puberty, adolescent development and menarche. I will focus more on the parenting style of the kids and my teaching style in order to help them process things better.
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