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31 Cards in this Set
- Front
- Back
Sex Determaining Region of Y Chromosome (SRY) |
- Codes for TDF - regulates other genes in chromosome - causes development of testes - gender determined by presence or absence of SRY |
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Sex Hormones |
- Steroids - can easily pass through cell membrane - binds to intracellular receptors that regulate gene expression |
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testosterone |
- androgen |
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androgens |
- male hormone - testosterone |
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estrogens |
- female hormones - Estradiol |
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estradiol |
- Estrogen - synthesized from testosterone via aromatase |
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Luteinizing Hormone (LH) |
- Gonadotropin - secreted by anterior pituitary - Males: stimulates testes to produce testosterone - Females: secretion of estrogens from the ovaries |
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Follicle-Stimulating Hormone (FSH) |
- Gonadotropin - secreted by anterior pituitary - Males: maturation of sperm cells within testes - Females: secretion of estrogens from the ovaries |
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Sex Hormone Secretion |
- Controlled by hypothalamus |
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Gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) |
- released by hypothalamus - causes release of LH and FSH - releases more LH |
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Prairie Voles |
- monogamous - very social - vasopressin antagonists prevent pair bonding in males - Different distribution of receptors than Montane voles |
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Montane Voles |
- promiscuous - asocial - Overexpression of vasopressin in men resulted in pair-bonding like meadow voles |
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Oxytocin |
- stimulates smooth muscle (uterine contractions and lactation) - Also bind to brain receptors - promotes bond with mate & offspring in female voles |
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Vasopressin |
- regulate water and salt levels - also bind to brain receptors - promotes bonding with mate & offspring in male voles
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Sexually Dimorphic Nucleus (SDN) |
- clustered around third ventricle - preoptic area of the anterior hypothalamus - lesions in rats disrupt estrous cycle in females and reduce copulation in males - 5-8 times larger in males than females |
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Sexual Dimorphisms - corpus collosom |
- larger in men - may be a consequence of men having larger brains and bodies - posterior end (splenium) is larger in women - no obvious role in mediating sec-related behaviors |
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Sexual Dimorphisms - Spatial Abilities |
- Men are better - map reading, maze learning, mathematical reasoning |
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Sexual Dimorphisms - Verbal Abilities |
- Women are better - list words that start with the letter B |
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Masculinization of Brain During Dev |
- Testosterone converted to estradiol in the brain which causes masculinization |
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Feminization of the Brain During Dev |
- |
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Hormone Exposure - Androgen Insensitivity |
- mutation of X-linked gene in XY males - developed testes and produce testosterone - appear and behave female - infertile, do not menstruate |
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Hormone Exposure - Bird Song in Males (Zebra Finch) |
- learn one song, cannot learn new ones - VCR controls singing, and bigger in males - Require early doses of steroids to organize VCR AND later androgens to activate them |
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Hippocampus |
- Brain Region important for spatial navigation |
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Hippocampus & Estrogen |
Increase
- dendritic spine density (major site of excitatory synapses) - NMDA glutamate receptor expression - excitability - Spine density and estradiol levels peak together in rats (peak in fertility) - increases spatial ability and nav skills to find a mate |
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Sexual Orientation - INAH-3 |
- half the size in gay men than straight - more resembles women - hypothalamic nuclei |
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Sexual Orientation - Other Brain Regions |
- anterior commissure & suprachiasmatic nucleus larger in male homos - bed nucleus of stria terminalis is larger in men than women (male-to-female transsexuals have size comparable to women) |
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Steroid |
- synthesized from cholesterol - has 4 carbon rings |
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Anterior Pituitary |
- Secretes LH and FSH |
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Hypothalamus |
- Secretes GnRH |
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Menstrual Cycle |
- Cyclic variations of LH and FSH cause periodic changes in ovaries - timing and duration of LH and FSH release determine nature of cycle |
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Hormone Exposure - Bird Song in Males (Canary) |
- Learn new songs each spring - song system independent of early androgen exposure - testosterone increases, VCR doubles in size - females will sing if given androgens for the first time as adults |