Hormones

Question 1

What are androgenic-anabolic steroids?

Answer 1

Synthetic drugs that mimic the effects of testosterone.
Androgenic refers the the masculinizing effect.
Anabolic refers to the building effect.

Question 2

What is endocrine signaling?

Answer 2

It is the effect that hormones have on different parts of the body when they are released by endocrine glands to various and distant receptor cells.

Question 3

What are the glands in the endocrine system?

Answer 3

Hypothalamus, pituitary, thyroid, adrenal, testes (male) / ovaries (female)

Question 4

What are the different types of hormones?

Answer 4

Intracrine - affects the cell that synthesized it
Autocrine - attached to the cell that synthesized it and regulates its function
Paracrine - affects neighboring cells
Exocrine - affects organisms outside the body
Endocrine - affects cells in distant parts of the body

Question 5

How does the hypothalamus and pituitary gland control hormone release?

Answer 5

1. Oxytocin and vasopressin are released by the neurosecretory glands in the hypothalamus to the posterior pituitary.
2. Neurosecretory glands also synthesize releasing and inhibiting hormones, and release them into the hypophyseal portal system.
3. The anterior pituitary then acts in accordance to the releasing and inhibiting hormones; releasing various hormones.

Question 6

How are steroids hormones produced and work?

Answer 6

1. Synthesized from cholesterol and produced in adrenal glands and testes/ovaries.
2. They are able to cross cell membranes and will trigger DNA to produce proteins.

Question 7

How are nonsteroid hormones produced and work?

Answer 7

1. They are short chain amino acids, also known as peptides.

2. They do not cross the cell membrane and work through a second messenger cascade.

Question 8

What does vasopressin (Anti-Diuretic Hormone - ADH) do?

Answer 8

Regulates function of kidneys to balance the level of salt in blood plasma. When the blood is Hypertonic, there is too much salt.

Question 9

What does Oxytocin do?

Answer 9

It is involved with reproductive functions.

1. It triggers contractions of the uterus.
2. It triggers the release of milk in the breast.

Question 10

What does the Thyroid-Stimulating Hormone (TSH) do?

Answer 10

It stimulates the thyroid gland to release thyroxine. Thyroxine is crucial for regulating metabolism, muscle control and brain development.

Question 11

What does the Adrenocorticotropic Hormone (ACTH) do?

Answer 11

1. This hormone is central to the stress response.
2. The stress response is activated through the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis.
3. When stressed, the hypothalamus releases corticotropin-releasing hormone (CRH) to the anterior pituitary which then releases ACTH.
4. When ACTH binds to the adrenal glands, cortisol is released, regulating the fight or flight response.

Question 12

What does Prolactin do?

Answer 12

It stimulates the production of milk in the mammary glands.

Question 13

What does Growth hormone do?

Answer 13

It stimulates growth of all tissues in the body and is especially important at puberty.
With aging, a drop in GH results in loss of muscle mass, increased body fat, thinning of skin and loss of cardiovascular function.

Question 14

What so Gonadotropic hormones do?

Answer 14

It stimulates production of estrogen and testosterone.

Question 15

What are the 2 main hormones of the posterior pituitary gland?

Answer 15

1. Vasopressin

2. Oxytocin

Question 16

What are the 5 main hormones of the anterior pituitary gland?

Answer 16

1. Thyroid stimulating hormone
2. Adrenocorticotropic hormone
3. Prolactin
4. Growth hormone
5. Gonadotropic hormone

Question 17

What is the social behavior neural network?

Answer 17

A network of interconnected brain areas that underlie the neurobiological basis of social behavior.

Question 18

Which hormones are associated with the social behavior neural network?

Answer 18

Vasopressin and oxytoxin.

Question 19

What brain areas are in the social behavior neural network (SBNN)?

Answer 19

1. Amygdala
2. Preoptic area
3. Anterior hypothalamus
4. Ventromedial hypothalamus
5. Periaqueductal grey matter
6. Lateral septum

Question 20

What is social recognition?

Answer 20

The ability to recognize other individuals and determine how to act with them.

Question 21

Which part of the brain facilitates social recognition?

Answer 21

The hippocampus is found to have a high density of vasopressin and oxytocin receptors. Inhibiting and enhancing receptors is shown to cause changes in social recognition.

Question 22

What is pair bonding?

Answer 22

A monogamous relationship between a male and female of the same species leading to reproduction and a lifelong bond. Only 3 to 5% of mammals are monogamous.

Question 23

How is rodent and human sexual behavior similar or different?

Answer 23

1. Humans are influenced by factors beyond biology

2. Humans do not have sex only to reproduce

Question 24

How is the menstrual cycle defined?

Answer 24

By the ovarian and uterine cycle.

The uterine cycle is defined by the steroid hormones produced in the ovarian cycle.

Question 25

What drives female sexual desire?

Answer 25

Estrogen, which builds up and peaks at ovulation. In contrast, it is negatively correlated to progesterone, which rises after ovulation. Testosterone does not appear to have any effect.

Question 26

What drives sexual behavior in males?

Answer 26

Testosterone, which in turn may also trigger the release of dopamine.

Question 27

What hormones drive parenting?

Answer 27

Parental behavior is primed by pregnancy hormones, estrogen and progesterone.

Question 28

What is the Organizational-activation hypothesis?

Answer 28

The idea that hormones have an organizing effect on neural circuits that determine gender-typical sexual behavior.

Question 29

What is defeminization?

Answer 29

The lost of female characteristics as a result of hormonal changes, in particular testosterone.

Question 30

What are the neural differences caused by hormones?

Answer 30

The sexually dimorphic nucleus of the preoptic area (SDN-POA) is larger in males and this is caused by testosterone. The interstitial nucleus of the anterior hypothalamic area (INHA) is also larger in males.

Question 31

Are there neural differences between homosexual and heterosexual men?

Answer 31

1. Suprachiasmatic nucleus is larger in homosexual males | 2. interstitial nucleus of the anterior hypothalamic area (INHA) is larger in heterosexual males.

Question 32

What is congenital adrenal hyperplasia (CAH)?

Answer 32

A genetic disorder where a range of hormones is deficient. In particular, melanocorticoid is deficient and this affects regulation of testosterone. Females with CAH are less likely to be heterosexual.

Question 33

What is the fraternal birth order effect?

Answer 33

It is a theory which holds that homosexual males are more likely to have a greater number of older brothers. This is thought to be caused by maternal immune hypothesis, where mothers develop a immune response to a specific substance on the Y chromosome.

Question 34

Is the relationship between hormones and behavior bi-directional?

Answer 34

Yes! Hormones can influence behavior and vice versa.

Question 35

Do hormones only act on 1 organ?

Answer 35

No. More often than not, they act on different organs and can have different effects on different organs.

Question 36

What is the influence of testosterone?

Answer 36

1. Brain - sex drive, mood, confidence and memory 2. Muscle - growth, strength and endurance 3. Bones - density maintenance 4. Bone marrow - red blood cell production 5. Sex organs - sperm production, erectile function and prostate growth 6. Skin - hair and collagen growth

Question 37

What is the influence of estrogen?

Answer 37

1. Brain - body temperature, memory and libido 2. Liver - cholesterol production and regulation 3. Bones - strength and density 4. Skin - anti-aging 5. Heart - protects from cholesterol 6. Breast - growth and feeding function 7. Ovary - maturation and stimulation 8. Uterus - preparation for pregnancy and menstrual cycle