Chapter 7: Motor Skills

locomotion

The ability to move independently; related in this text to large or gross motor skill development.

manipulation

The ability to move skillfully with the hands and fingers; related in this text to small or fine motor skill development.

mylenization

The building or increasing of the myelin sheath that acts as an insulator around the axon with neural fibers allowing for efficient transmission of messages by the brain.

cerebral cortex

The largest, most complex structure of the human brain; responsible for higher level thinking and intelligence; surrounds the rest of the brain (much like a half-shelled walnut).

cephalocaudal

An organized pattern of physical growth and motor control that proceeds from head to foot.

proximaldistal

An organized pattern of physical growth and motor control that proceeds from the center of the body outward.

reflexes

Automatic or involuntary response system to touch, light, sound, and other forms of stimulation.

brain plasticity

Capacity for regions of the brain and individual neurons within these regions to adapt and take on different functions as a result of experience.