Sexual development

“The onset of puberty is determined by a mix of genetic and environmental factors coming to bear on the hypothalamus of the brain.”  Margaret M McCarthy, Piece in the puzzle of puberty, Nature, February 2013.

The development of appetite

It’s well known that the ability to perceive the sounds of language is tuned in childhood as a result of the interaction between exposure and early development. Infants start out with equipotential for languages. However, by the end of the first year ..neural-pathways responsible for discerning the sounds of their native language get established. Turns out that appetite for particular foods are formed this way a well, perhaps even earlier inside the womb. Infants start out indifferent to tastes, however “..later exposure changes the way taste signals are carried to the brain.” Recent studies show how exposure to a diet of crackers, cereal and bread during early development results in a lifelong preference for starchy-salt rich food [link].