The Brain

Nature vs. Nurture

Brain development in
newborns
The brainstem (medulla, cerebellum, pons) develops around 33 rd
day of gestation nearly completes it development and myelination
By 7 months, development and myelination is nearly completed
functions:
it receives sensory messages and relays the information to the cerebral
cortex.
It processes sensations for hearing, balance, vision, and focusing
attention. It finally
regulates the autonomic functions of internal organs, such as breathing.
After birth, actions such as screaming, and crying can
be produced from brainstem stimulation, (thus without
any cognitive activity)

Brain development in
newborns
The limbic system resides in the centre of the brain.
It comprises
The basal ganglia
(responsible for relay of messages from the inner ear, the
cerebellum, and the cerebral cortex)

The hippocampus
compares old and new stimuli and sends out inhibitory
neurons to prevent arousal if one

At birth, the cognitive brain is still relatively under

developed

Newborns: synaptogenesis

At birth, the infant brain weighs 300-350g and contains 100 billion neurons.

Synaptogenesis
A process which involves the formation of nerve synapses. This process
happens throughout our lives
A rapid spike in synaptogenesis occurs at an early stage called exuberant
synaptogenesis because of the sheer number of synapses created in this
critical window compared with later in life.
Synapses are formed at the NMJ and CNS

The earliest synaptic connections have been observed

around gestational week 5
The peak period is around week 34

Synaptic maturation is regulated by many proteins involved in

synaptogenesis and is also governed by activity-dependent changes and
hormones.

Prenatal synaptogensis would appear to take place because of nature given

that the process seems to occur between weeks 5 and 34 in nearly all
foetuses.
http://ajcn.nutrition.org.eresources.shef.ac.uk/content/98/5/1326.full.pdf#p

Cross-cultural studies
EJ Gibsons visual cliff experiment was carried out
on babies, not allowing time for significant learning.
Results were the same across cultures, as found in
later studies, suggesting that depth perception is a
natural quality received at birth.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3WvtEFJGp-8

Muller-Lyer Study 1889

Animal Experiments
Pavlovs dogs:
Technicians were ringing a bell every time the dogs
were about to be fed.
Pavlov noticed that after a few weeks of the
experiment, the dogs would begin to salivate when
they heard the technicians bell, even without food.

Journal of Visual Experiments song birds:

Using fMRI to see how language development and
acquisition varies between birds raised in isolation
and those raised socially.
Ongoing experiment.

Damage to the brain

Autism (autistic tendencies) :
Widely regarded as being genetic as it
has been found that autism often runs in
families.
Recent research also suggests that
environmental factors can also have and
effect, during pregnancy or birth
Eg. Drugs, such as anti-depressents, or even
pollution that can effect the hormonal
system of a mother, or a trauma such as
being starved of oxygen during childbirth.

Nature vs Nurture
Brains do not develop normally in the
absence of critical genetic signaling,
and they do not develop normally in
the absence of essential
environmental input.
Brain development requires the
interaction of nature and nurture thus
the argument for one or the other is
incorrect.