10 Reproductive behavior Flashcards
Gamete
Mature reproductive cell, sperm or ovum.
Sexually dimorphic behavior
Behavior that has different forms or that occurs with different probabilities or under different circumstances and males and females.
Sex chromosome
X and Y chromosomes
Gonad
Ovary or testis
Sry
Sex-determining region Y
Gene on the Y chromosome whose product instructs the undifferentiated fetal gonads to develop into testes.
Organizational effect (of hormone)
Effect of a hormone on tissue differentiation and development.
Activational effect (of hormone)
Effect of a hormone that occurs in a fully developed organism; may depend on the organisms prior exposure to the organizational effects of hormones.
Mullerian system
Embryonic precursors of the female internal sex organs.
Wolffian system
Embryonic prescriptions of the male internal sex organs.
Anti-Mullerian hormone
Peptide secreted by the fetal testes that inhibits the development of the Mullerian system, which would otherwise become the female internal sex organs.
Defeminizing effect
Effect of a hormone present early in development that reduces or prevents the later development of anatomical or behavioral characteristics of females.
Androgen
Male sex steroid hormone. Testosterone is the principal mammalian androgen.
Masculinizing effect
Effect of a hormone present early in development that promotes the later development of anatomical or behavioral characteristics typical of males.
Testosterone
Principal androgen found in males.
Dyhydrotestosterone
Androgen, produced from testosterone through the action of the enzyme 5-alpha reductase.
Androgen intensity syndrome
Condition caused by a congenital lack of functioning androgen receptors; in a person with XY sex chromosomes, causes the development of a female with testes but no internal sex organs.
Persistent Mullerian duct syndrome
Condition caused by congenital lack of anti-Mullerian hormone or receptors for this hormone; in the male, causes development of both male and female internal sex organs.
Turner’s syndrome
Presence of only one sex chromosome (x chromosome); characterized by lack of ovaries but otherwise normal female sex organs and genitalia.
Gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH)
Hypothalamic hormone that stimulates the anterior pituitary gland to secrete gonadotropic hormone.
Gonadotropin hormone
Hormone of the anterior pituitary gland that has a stimulating effect on cells of the gonads.