Intellectual Development (page 3) Human beings develop in 4
different aspects of growth: Social, Physical, Intellectual, and
Emotional. The areas are all interconnected, so when one is
affected, it may influence the others. Intellectual development
refers to the development of a person’s mental and thinking
abilities. Brain Growth and Development At birth, the brain is
one-fourth its adult weight. At six months, the brain has grown
to half its adult weight. At age two, the brain is three-fourths
adult size and weight. Females have a physically smaller brain,
but 11% more neurons than males. The brain is made up of nerve
cells called neurons, the majority of which were present at
birth. Neurons located in the various lobes or segments of the
brain are task specific. This means certain neurons located in
certain areas of the brain are responsible for specific tasks.
Neurons are hooked together with varying numbers and kinds of
connections called synapses (a neuron and it’s synapses are
shown at right). The numb