Chapter 5 Flashcards
Prolactin is primarily produced by the ____ in response to _____
anterior pituitary; prolactin-releasing factor (prod by hypothalamus)
What is the main role of prolactin in females?
- lactating and milk production after childbirth
- levels rise steadily during pregnancy to prepare
What are 3 main roles of prolactin in males?
- regulation of immune system
- metabolism
- reproduction (sperm prod and reg of T levels)
Oxytocin is primarily produced in the ___ and released by the _____
hypothalamus; posterior pituitary gland
What are 4 key roles of oxytocinin females?
- stimulates uterine contractions during labor and promotes ejection of milk during breastfeeding
- maternal behaviour (attachment)
- stress regulation (attenuates release of stress hormones)
- social behaviours (eg empathy, generosity, social cog)
Estradiol (from the same family as ____), is primarily produced by the ______
estrogen; ovaries (small amounts in testes for men)
What is the role of estradiol in women?
- development and maintenance of reproductive tissues
- influences secondary sexual characteristics
At which phase in the menstrual cycle do estradiol levels rise?
follicular phase (before ovulation)
How is estradiol synthesized in men?
- testosterone converted to estradiol through action of enzyme aromatase
Progesterone is mainly produced by the _____
corpus luteum in the ovary after ovulation
In women, progesterone helps _____
prepare uterine lining for implantation
During pregnancy, progesterone is primarily produced by the _____
placenta
In both men and women, small amounts of progesterone are also produced by the ______. These hormones play various roles, including ____ and ____
adrenal glands; regulating metabolism and stress response
At what phase of the menstrual cycle is progesterone the highest?
luteal phase (after ovulation)
At what phase of the menstrual cycle are LH and FSH highest?
right before ovulation (end of follicular phase)
Vasopressin (AKA _____) is a peptide hormone primarily produced in the _____ and released by the _____
antidiuretic hormone (ADH); hypothalamus; posterior pituitary gland
What role does vasopressin play in parental/social behaviour?
- high levels ass w pair bonding, parental behaviour, aggression/territoriality, social recognition and memory
- in some species is more important for affiliation than oxytocin! (esp males)
What did the contrasting gorilla zoo incidents demonstrate?
- female gorillas who were lactating protected kids (high oxytocin)
- make gorilla tried to drown screaming child (testosterone)
From an evolutionary perspective, the only currency of reproductive success is ______
production of successful offspring (so need to invest in care)
Parental behaviour can be defined as behaviours performed in relation to one’s offspring that _____
contribute directly to the survival of fertilized eggs or offspring that have left the body of the female
parental investment can be defined as the extent to which parents _____
compromise their ability to produce additional offspring in order to assist current offspring
In most species of mammals (males/females) are the choosier sex and invest the (least/most) in parental care
females; most
What is the difference between precocial and altricial born offspring?
- Precocial: born @ advanced stage of dev, require little or no parental intervention for survival (ex guinea pigs still need to be fed but can walk and see)
- Altricial: born @ early stage of dev, quite helpless and require substantial care to survive (ex kangaroos, dogs and rats who can’t regulate temp)
Humans are (precocials/altricials)
semi-precocials (able to thermoregulate which sets us apart from altricial species–this is why preemies need incubators)
Parental investment theory argues that parental investment varies according to ____, ____ and ____
maturity at birth, number and survival fit
What is lactational amenorrhea and what causes it? What other species is it similar in?
- menstrual interruption when breastfeeding
- high prolactin suppresses GnRH release
- less GnRH leads to decreased LH by anterior pituitary
- inadequate LH secretion inhibits progression of follicular phase so no ovulation!
- similar in hens
In what species are males as capable of females at providing parental care?
avians (birds)
What are the 3 types of parenting models displayed in birds?
- biparental
- females only (chickens)
- adoptive (alloparental care)
increased blood concentrations of ____ are ass w broodiness in all female birds studied to date. How was this first discovered?
- prolactin! (broody behaviour is maternal care)
- blood serum from broody hen could induce a non incubating hen to sit on a clutch of eggs!
After maternal behavior has been initiated by hormones, how is it maintained in hens?
- any contact (even w young of another species)
- cute picture of hen warming kittens w her wings
When hens have higher levels of prolactin, the produce more ____
crop milk (secretions from lining of crop that is regurgitated to young)
In birds, when do sex steroid hormones increase, peak, and decrease?
- increase w onset of courtship behaviour
- peak during time of egg laying
- rapidly decrease to baseline prior to incubation
In birds, when do prolactin levels increase, peak, and decrease?
- IF EGG IS FERTILIZED:
- increase at time of egg laying
- remain high during incubation
- decrease gradually during post-hatching care
In alloparental birds, prolactin concentrations correlate with ____
amount of care provided to offspring
How do prolactin levels differ in precocial vs altricial species?
- precocial: decline at time of hatching
- altricial: remain high throughout chick rearing (even longer for species w long absence from the nest like penguins)
In mammals, which hormone is critical for the onset of maternal behavior?
estrogen!! (very elevated around time of birth)
How do hormone concentrations in human pregnancy differ from other mammals?
- high conc of both estradiol and progesterone throughout pregnancy
- precipitous drop in concentration of both at parturition (believed to contribute to the onset of postpartum depression)
- in rats and other species, estradiol keeps rising after parturition
in mammals, oxytocin and endorphins increase around ____
time of parturition and stay high after!
Why do we see elevated cortisol in mammalian pregancy?
- can lower progesterone and suppress immune reactions of mother towards fetus!!
(T/F) we can induce maternal behavior in rats via blood transfusion from new mother
FALSE, need sensitization first
How does the hormonal control of maternal aggression differ from the control of other maternal behaviours?
- usually requires presence of pups and not juts hormones
- progesterone plays big role in mediating maternal aggression
Within the CNS, receptors for oxytocin are found within the ______, ____and_____, and ____and_____
olfactory system, limbic-hypothalamic system and ventral forebrain, and in brainstem and spinal cord
In first time human mothers, high cortisol is associated with ___ behaviours
approach (more affectionate w baby; find odor more appealing)
**don’t see this w more experienced mothers
How is oxytocin associated with parental behaviour in humans?
- high oxytocin ass w more affectionate contact in both parents
- women w greatest increase in oxytocin as pregnancy progresses show highest levels of maternal bonding
In men, (lower/higher) prolactin and (lower/higher) testosterone are associated with higher parental care
higher prolactin, lower testosterone (BUT T can promote paternal behaviour in some mice via conversion to estradiol)
expectant human fathers have higher/lower:
- estradiol
- testosterone
- cortisol
- higher estradiol
- lower testosterone
- lower cortisol
Dr. Laura Glynn argues that ____ is a critical period in human female neurodevelopment
perinatal period (pregnancy)
Pregnant women have an (increased/decreased) stress response. Why is this useful?
- DECREASED
- can protect fetus from effects of stress
- enhances ability to deal w threats
Social behaviour can be defined as interactions between individuals from which ____
one of more of the individuals benefit
Affiliation is a form of social behaviour that eveolved from ___ and involves _____
- evolved from parental behaviour
- involves an individual’s motivation to approach and remain in close proximity with a conspecific
What hormone plays a role in social familiarity (first stage of social bonding)?
oxytocin
endogenous oxytocin is more important in pair formation in (males/females) while endogenous vasopressin is more important for (males/females)
females; males
Oxytocin can give a “boost” in ____ and ____
romantic perception (see partner as more attractive) and affiliation
Married men usually have (higher/lower) testosterone vs single men
lower! (polyamorous males have high levels similar to single)
(T/F) high testosterone is ass w increased aggression across many species in males and females
TRUE
testosterone’s influence on aggression can be influenced by ___ and ___
social context and sex
When men (but not women) win, they have (increased/decreased) testosterone which leads to (more/less) aggressive behaviour
increased; more
