Adulthood, and Reflections on

Developmental Issues

Illouise RosellMelanie Chhea

Gladys Cruz

Chapter 11-2Physical Changes in Later Life

As people grow older there are changes they go through like: more susceptible to short-term illnesses. Many of the brains neurons die Grow senile Loss of past memory Life satisfaction peaks in the fifties and

declines after 65***These are all false.***

Menopause- the time of natural cessation of menstruation; also refers to the biological changes a woman experiences as her ability to reproduce declines.

Life Expectancy

Life Expectancy has increased from 49 years in the mid-twentieth century to 67 in the early twenty-first century, and in some developed countries it exceeds 80.

These increased life expectancy can be due to healthier, wealthier environment.

Life expectancy differs for males and females Males more prone to death, at

least ¼ in infancy. Woman out live men 4-7 years.

There has been many speculation of why people age so quickly, one theory states that we pass on our genes most successfully when we raise our young and stop consuming resources.

Sensory Abilities

Many of our sensory abilities decline as we age. Visual sharpness, adaptation to light changes,

muscle strength, reaction time, stamina, sense of smell, hearing, and distance perception all diminishes as we get older.

The decline in sight is due to the fact that with age, the eye’s pupil shrinks and its lens become less transparent, so as a result it reduces the amount of light that reaches the retina. For example, a 65 year old person’s retina only receives about

one third as much light as a 20 year old person's retina.