class 9

Question 1

What are phthalates used for in plastics?

Answer 1

Phthalates make plastics more flexible and harder to break.

Question 2

How can people be exposed to phthalates?

Answer 2

Through direct contact with phthalate-containing products or indirectly by consuming food and drinks that have been in contact with them.

Question 3

Why is DEHP considered harmful?

Answer 3

DEHP is a phthalate that can easily migrate out of products into our bodies and act as an endocrine disruptor, affecting hormone balance.

Question 4

What is the most common way people are exposed to DEHP?

Answer 4

Mostly through eating food that has been in contact with DEHP-containing plastics.

Question 5

How does the body handle DEHP?

Answer 5

DEHP is absorbed and metabolized into MEHP, which is thought to cause toxic effects. It’s mostly distributed to the liver and fat tissues but doesn’t accumulate over time.

Question 6

How does DEHP affect sexual development?

Answer 6

As an endocrine disruptor, DEHP can interfere with hormones that regulate sexual development, potentially leading to altered physical characteristics and reproductive issues

Question 7

Can exposure to phthalates like DEHP lead to changes in the brain?

Answer 7

Yes, early exposure to DEHP can affect the brain, influencing behaviors and possibly leading to conditions like anxiety due to its impact on hormone signaling.

Question 8

What role does DEHP have in anxiety and the HPA axis in mice?

Answer 8

DEHP exposure can dysregulate the HPA axis, leading to increased levels of cortisol, which is associated with anxiety-like behavior.

Question 9

How might DEHP contribute to inflammation related to anxiety?

Answer 9

DEHP exposure may increase pro-inflammatory cytokine levels, contributing to low-grade inflammation and anxiety-like behaviors.

Question 10

What is a major challenge in determining human exposure to DEHP?

Answer 10

Tracking all possible sources and routes of DEHP exposure is complicated, as it’s used in many products and can enter the body in different ways.

Question 11

What makes measuring DEHP exposure in people difficult?

Answer 11

Since DEHP comes from many products and we can be exposed in various ways, tracking every source of exposure is like detective work – very complex.

Question 12

What’s one way scientists measure how much DEHP a person has been exposed to?

Answer 12

By measuring levels of DEHP metabolites in urine, which helps account for all the different ways someone might be exposed.

Question 13

Why are children considered at higher risk for DEHP exposure than adults?

Answer 13

Children might ingest more DEHP because they’re more likely to chew on or suck plastic toys, and they metabolize DEHP differently, possibly making them more vulnerable.

Question 14

How does DEHP affect the body’s hormonal system?

Answer 14

DEHP can act like hormones in our body, messing up the normal hormonal balance and possibly changing how the body and brain develop.

Question 15

Why is DEHP considered an endocrine disruptor?

Answer 15

Because it interferes with our endocrine system, which uses hormones to control many body functions, including growth and stress responses.

Question 16

How can DEHP exposure affect sexual development in mammals?

Answer 16

DEHP can mess with the natural hormones that are critical for sexual development, potentially leading to changes in how reproductive organs develop.

Question 17

What evidence suggests DEHP can change brain development or behavior?

Answer 17

Studies have shown that exposure to DEHP can affect brain circuits and lead to behavioral changes, like increased anxiety or altered male and female typical behaviors.

Question 18

How does exposure to phthalates like DEHP relate to anxiety in adult life?

Answer 18

Research suggests that DEHP can disrupt stress hormone levels and immune responses, contributing to anxiety-like behaviors.

Question 19

What are some steps people can take to reduce their exposure to DEHP?

Answer 19

Avoiding plastic containers for food and drinks, especially for fatty foods which DEHP can easily move into, and choosing toys and products labeled as phthalate-free.

Question 20

How does ongoing research into DEHP and other phthalates help protect public health?

Answer 20

By understanding how these chemicals affect us, especially vulnerable populations like children, we can create better regulations and safer products to reduce health risks.

Question 21

Phthalates =

Answer 21

group of chemicals
(plastisizers) used to make plastics more
flexible & harder to break

Question 22

All phthalates are derived from:

Answer 22

phthalic
anhydride

Question 23

DEHP does not bioaccumulate true or false

Answer 23

true

Question 24

sexual determination vs differentiation

Answer 24

In summary, sexual determination is about the genetic and chromosomal factors that decide whether an embryo will develop male or female characteristics. Sexual differentiation is the next step, where those decisions are put into action, and the physical characteristics of males and females are developed.

Question 25

Recall gonadotropins-

Answer 25

group of hormones that
play a crucial role in regulating the function of
the gonads
LH –>testosterone
FSH –> spermatogenesis, follicle growth

Question 26

ORGANIZATIONAL HYPOTHESIS-

Answer 26

Imagine when a baby is growing inside its mom or just after it’s born, its body gets special signals from hormones, kind of like secret messages. These messages tell the baby’s brain to develop in certain ways that later on might make the baby act more like a typical boy or girl.

It’s like if you were programming a robot. Depending on the first set of instructions (or hormones) you give it, the robot might be really good at dancing or solving puzzles later on. Then, when the robot gets older (like when kids hit puberty), it gets another set of instructions that turn on these abilities, making them more noticeable.

So, the organizational hypothesis is about how these early “secret messages” help shape the way boys and girls might act differently as they grow up. It’s like a foundation for a house that decides if it’s going to be a bungalow or a skyscraper, but you don’t see what it becomes until it’s built up later!