Hormones and Pheromones

Question 1

What are hormones?

Answer 1

• A class of chemical that affects behaviour
  ○ Produced by glands of the endocrine
  system
• Enters directly into bloodstream
  ○ Therefore take longer to produce
  changes in behaviour than
  neurotransmitters
• Have a widespread effect on both physiology
  and psychology in humans

Question 2

Where is cortisol produced?

Answer 2

adrenal gland

Question 3

What is the function of cortisol?

Answer 3

• Released in response to stress or fear as part
  of the body’s fight or flight response
• Involved in the regulation of:
  ○ Blood pressure
  ○ Insulin release
  ○ Glucose metabolism
  ○ Immune function
  ○ Inflammatory response

Question 4

Examples of the effects of cortisol on body and behaviour - e.g. high cortisol

Answer 4

• Blood sugar imbalances
• Decreased bone density
• Decreases in muscle tissue
• High blood pressure
• Impaired cognitive performance
• Increased abdominal fat
• Lowered immunity/inflammatory response in
  body

Question 5

What are pheromones?

Answer 5

• Chemical substance produced and released
  into environment by an animal affecting the
  behaviour or physiology of others of its own
  species
• Play significant role in signalling between
  members of same species among animals to
  affect various behaviours
• Not clear if same for humans

Question 6

What is a VNO?

Answer 6

• Structure in mammals connected through
  nerves to a region of the brain called the
  accessory olfactory bulb
  ○ Adjacent to main olfactory bulb which is
  responsible for processing smells
  ○ Some humans have it, others don’t
  - Even if they do, not connected to
  nervous system

Question 7

Types of pheromones in animals

Answer 7

primer pheromones
signal pheromones

Question 8

primer pheromones

Answer 8

cause slow, long-term psychological changes
- e.g. hormonal effects

Question 9

signal pheromones

Answer 9

produce rapid behavioural effects
- e.g. mating

Question 10

pheromones in humans

Answer 10

• Equal amount of research showing effects as
  not - research is contradicting
• So far, no human pheromone found
• Two chemicals studies as putative (hypothesised to be) pheromones:
  ○ Androstadienone (AND) - males
  ○ Estratetaenol (EST) - females