Early brain development: the development of the brain in the womb and in early years, including the structures that develop, and the influence of nature and nurture on development.

What this dot point is asking

Edexcel wants you to describe how the brain develops in the womb and in the early years, name the structures that develop, and explain how nature and nurture both shape that development. This opens Topic 1 (Development) on Paper 1, and the nature-nurture idea introduced here returns as a formal debate later in the topic, so learn it precisely.

How the brain develops in the womb

Development starts very early. A few weeks after conception a hollow neural tube forms; one end thickens and folds to create the three main regions of the brain. From the bottom up these are the hindbrain (which controls basic survival functions such as breathing and heart rate), the midbrain (which relays signals and helps control movement and arousal) and the forebrain (the largest part, which develops into the cerebrum responsible for thinking, language and the senses).

During this period the brain produces neurons (nerve cells) at an enormous rate, often quoted as hundreds of thousands of new cells per minute at the peak. These neurons migrate to their correct locations and begin to form synapses, the junctions where one neuron passes signals to another. By birth the basic structure of the brain is in place, but the connections are still sparse compared with an adult.

How the brain develops after birth

The brain is far from finished at birth. In the first years of life it grows quickly and forms huge numbers of new synapses, a process sometimes called synaptic blooming. The brain then refines itself: connections that are used regularly are strengthened, while connections that are rarely used are removed in a process called synaptic pruning. This makes the brain more efficient, keeping the wiring the child actually needs.

This is why early experience matters so much. A child who is talked to, played with, well fed and kept safe tends to build and keep rich networks of connections. A child who experiences serious neglect or poor nutrition may lose connections that would otherwise have been useful, which can slow development.

Nature and nurture in brain development

You should be able to argue that neither nature nor nurture alone explains development. Identical twins raised apart show that genes strongly influence many traits, but studies of severe neglect show that a poor environment can hold development back even when the genetic potential is normal. Edexcel returns to this as the formal nature-nurture debate, so use brain development as a concrete example.

Try this

Q1. Name the three main regions the neural tube develops into. [3 marks]

• Cue. Forebrain, midbrain and hindbrain.

Q2. What is synaptic pruning? [2 marks]

• Cue. The removal of unused connections between neurons, which makes the brain more efficient.

Q3. Explain one way nurture can influence early brain development. [2 marks]

• Cue. Stimulation such as talk and play strengthens connections, so a rich environment builds more lasting networks.