Hormones and Sexual Behavior Flashcards
When is there more sexual interest in women
Around ovulation
What does 5-alpha reductase do?
Converts testosterone to 5-alpha dihydrotestosterone
What activates sexual behavior in women?
Maybe testosterone but no other species exhibits that. Need more research on ovarian hormones (estrogen)
Characteristics of kleinfelter syndrome
Tall stature, some female secondary sex characteristics such as wide hips and breast growth. Show signs of a female puberty
When are females more accurately able to guess male sexual orientation?
Close to ovulation
How do hormones and sex differences play a role in health?
Many psychological disorders affect males and females at different rates
When does puberty really start?
When gonadotropins are first released in large amounts
Turner Syndrome
Sex monosomie. 45 X0
Stable pattern of attraction to members of a particular sex that isn’t the same as sexual behavior or fantasy and isn’t purely dichotomous
Sexual orientation
What does insulin do and where is it produced?
Blood glucose produced in pancreas
What do estrogens do and where are they produced
Breast development and menarche in females produced in ovaries and testes and adrenal glands
Blood levels of LH and FSH pituitary hormones during human menstrual cycle
Higher LH than FSH
What do OAEs presumably indicate?
The influence of prenatal testosterone levels
Three steps of puberty
- ) Hypothalamus releases gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) to pituitary glad
- ) Pituitary gland releases gonadotropins
- ) Secretion of sex hormones from the glands
Gonads in AIS and 5ARD
Neither in AIS and undescended testes in 5ARD
What happens at puberty
Sexual maturation and the development of secondary sex characteristics
Premenstrual mood changes are usually severe affecting cognition and daily life
Premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD)
New mothers experience feelings of depression due to rapidly changing hormonal environment
Postpartum depression (and anxiety and psychosis)
What does progesterone do and where is it produced
Preparation of uterus for implantation of fertilized egg produced in ovaries and testes and adrenal glands
What causes androgen insensitivity syndrome?
Abnormal androgen receptors disrupt normal development of the Wolffian system, though testosterone and anti-mullerian hormone are released in normal manner. Non-functional androgen receptors
What do testosterone levels correlate with?
Activation during spatial tasks
Female sexual interest stability
Not as stable as men
What do all sex hormones come from?
Cholesterol
What do androgens do and where are they produced
male secondary sex characteristics, sexual arousal in males and females and produced in testes as well as ovaries and adrenal glands
Phenotype of turner syndrome
Female
What does every fetus have at 6 weeks?
Both a wollfian and mullerian duct
A type of hormone that causes a defeminizing effect that prevents the mullerian system from developing
Anti-mullerian hormone
External genitalia of turner syndrome
typical
Females preferences of males for casual sexual encounters and long term partners
Masculine men for casual and less masculine men for long term
What do estradiol levels correlate with?
Activation in language centers
Creates the testis determining factor protein
SRY gene
Kleinfelter syndrome
Sex polysomie. 47 XXY
What do cortisol, NE, epinephrine (adrenaline) do and where are they produced
Bodily functions during stressful and emotional states produced in adrenal glands
Birth order effects on sexual orientation?
Males with older brothers are more likely to be homosexual due to the mothers immune response to Y chromosome proteins strengthening with subsequent pregnancies
Male gonads
Testes
When do testosterone levels increase in males?
Anticipation of competition and further increases in winners. Losers lose testosterone
Addresses the question what hormones to make?
Organizational hormone effects
What happens without the SRY gene?
It is default which is female. The gonads become ovaries
Long-term, irreversible effects that are associated with critical or sensitive periods. Hormones
Organizational hormone effects
Effects of congenital adrenal hyperplasia in females
Exposed to excessive androgen; born with ambiguous external genitalia
When does differentiation of gonads occur?
During the third month
Characteristics of XYY
Increased risk for acne and learning disabilities. Minor risk factors for impulsive, antisocial, and primal misbehavior. MAYBE a harder time with impulse control
Higher testosterone and lower estrogen and vice versa relationship to hand development?
Higher testosterone = 4D bigger than 2D. Male pattern
Higher estrogen = 2D bigger or equal to 4D. Female pattern
What activates sexual behavior in men?
Testosterone
External female genitalia
Labia, clitoris and outer vagina
Short-term, reversible effects that occur around puberty and sexual maturity. Hormones
Activational hormone effects
Sex polysomies
Three sex chromosomes. 47 XXX, 47 XXY - Klinefelter syndrome
47 XYY - Supermale
Chromosomes in AIS and 5ARD
XY for both
Areas of decreased activity viewing someone you love
Prefrontal cortex, posterior cingulate gyrus
Genitalia at birth in AIS and 5ARD
Female for both
Intelligence of turner syndrome
Normal. Typically have high educational and occupational achievement levels
When is oxytocin secreted and what does it do?
Secreted during child birth and female and male orgasms. It promotes pair bonding
Biological characteristic of being male or female
Sex
This often requires testosterone treatment at puberty for masculine traits
Kleinfelter syndrome
What happens when there is no SRY gene?
It will be a female
What features are preferred on females by most males?
Younger features
How do preferences for masculinity vary in females?
Based on fertility cycle and presence of hormonal contraception
When do children begin to prefer sex-typed toys?
Between 12 and 18 months
Do males or females express more vasopressin?
Males
External male genitalia
Scrotum and testes
What are androgens?
Type of steroid hormone that develops and maintains typically masculine characteristics or sexual interest
Homosexual males outperformed heterosexual females on these and homosexual males and heterosexual females outperformed heterosexual males and homosexual females
Verbal fluency tasks
Male and female sexual behaviors exhibited in rats?
Mounting and lordosis
What are oxytocin and vasopressin
Neuropeptides. Neurohormones
External genitalia of kleinfelter syndrome
Small penis and testes
Genetic males but phenotypic females with usually female gender identities
Androgen insensitivity syndrome
What are androgens a precursor for?
Estrogen
Female gonads
Ovaries
Develops into uterus, upper vagina, and fallopian tubes
Mullerian system. Female
What does early exposure to sex hormones influence?
Adult sexual behavior in animals and humans
What may genetics have effects on?
Direct effects on sexual orientation or indirect effects on prenatal androgen environments
What do all embryos have?
Precursors to both male and female internal organs
Phenotype of kleinfelter syndrome
Male but lots of feminization of features
Gonads of turner syndrome
Streak ovaries. So much connective tissue it prevents them from being functional. No ova or ovarian hormones. Infertile
What does melatonin do and where is it produced?
Biological rhythms and sleep produced in pineal gland
Sex monosomies
Only one sex chromosome. 45 X0 - Turner syndrome
45 Y0 - no record, you need an x to be alive
Gonads of kleinfelter syndrome
Underdeveloped testes. Have a low fertility rate
What do males have a slight advantage in and what do females have a slight advantage in?
Males = visuospatial tasks Females = verbal tasks
Causes the primordial gonads to develop into testes
testis determining factor protein
Males always outperform females on these and heterosexual males outperform homosexual males, bisexual males fall in between
Visuospatial tasks
Do males or females express more oxytocin?
Females
A type of hormone and androgen that causes masculinizing effect that promotes development of Wolffian system
testosterone
Possible biomarkers of sexual orientation
Otoacoustic emissions of lesbian and bisexual women. 2D:4D ration
What are sex differences mediated by?
continued expression of genes on both X and Y chromosomes, especially in the Brian, organizational and activation hormone effects, epigenetics, and societal and cultural influences
Jacob syndrome (“supermale”)
Sex polysomie. 47 XYY
Females produce louder these than males
click evoked OAEs (CEOAEs)
How does the Mullerian system develop?
It develops in the absence of male hormones
Where are androgens found?
Both male and females
Where are there a large number of androgen and estrogen receptors?
Digits 2 and 4. More on 4
Why are testes gonads?
They start inside and become external
What is vasopressin and what does it do?
Neurohormone involved in social behavior, sexual behavior and pair bonding
Proteins made and sex chromosome abnormalities
Less chromosomes = less proteins made
More chromosomes = more proteins made
What hormonal activity is required for external female genitalia development?
None
Genotype and phenotype of XYY
Male for both
Areas of increased activity viewing someone you love
Insula, basal ganglia, anterior cingulate cortex
What do males and females both produce?
Androgens and estrogens but in different amounts
What motor skills do males and females develop?
Gross motor skills in males and fine motor skills in females
How are sex differences activated in the brain?
Continuous testosterone production in males at puberty and estrus cycle in females at puberty
Are ovaries active during fetal development?
No. The absence of active testes causes the development of the mullerian system
What is oxytocin and what does it do?
Neurohormone that promotes pair bonding
What does testosterone stimulate in males that are the secondary sex characteristics?
Muscular development, maturation of external genitalia, facial and body hair (hairline on the head and baldness), enlargement of larynx (deeper voice)
Genetics role in sexual orientation
Influence it although we don’t understand the exact mechanisms. More than genetics is at play. Regions on chromosome 8 and the X chromosome predict sexual orientation
Fertility in XYY
Maybe slightly reduced and a higher chance for male offspring
Addresses the question what do the hormones do?
Activational hormone effects
What are two gonadotropins?
Leutinizing hormone (LH) and follicle stimulating hormone (FSH)
Indirect markers/correlates of prenatal androgen exposure
Length of fingers (2D:4D), otoacoustic emissions, birth order (5th boy has more prenatal exposure)
When can the sex be determined externally?
Around 18 weeks
Fertility in AIS and 5ARD
Infertile in AIS and normal in 5ARD
Adrenal glands release elevated levels of androgens
Congenital adrenal hyperplasia
What are the sexually dimorphic brain structures?
Sexually dimorphic nucleus of the preoptic area (SDN-POA) (rats), interstitial nuclei of the anterior hypothalamus (INAH), spinal nucleus of the bulbocavernosus, thalamus, and white matter of the cerebral hemisphere
What happens in 5ARD deficiency (5ARD)?
At puberty, unconverted testosterone produces male secondary sex characteristics. Raised as females and have a male puberty
Effect of a hormone that occurs in the fully developed organism, beginning at time of puberty
Activational hormone effects
When is genetic sex determined?
The time of fertilization
Importance of symmetry in attraction
More symmetrical faces are more attractive
How many variables determine sex?
Many. Chromosomes, hormone balances, and phenotypic variants of physical characteristics
Most well known androgen
Testosterone
Blood levels of ovarian hormones during human menstrual cycle
High estrogens and low progesterone then they flip
What hormonal activity is required for external male genitalia development?
5-alpha-dihydrotestosterone is converted from testosterone by 5-alpha-reductase. Needs to happen for external genitalia development in males. Loss results in ambiguous external genitalia
Hormonal effects on the differentiation and development of the sex organs, brain and behavior in early development
Organizational hormone effects
When are testosterone levels in males lowered?
Older men, long-term relationships, following the birth of a baby (return in 3-6 months)
Intelligence of kleinfelter syndrome
Mild cognitive difficulties and social awkwardness
What does estradiol stimulate in females that are the secondary sex characteristics?
Breast growth, maturation of external genitalia and uterus, changes in deposition of body fat, menstrual cycle
During the third month, what causes the male gonads to develop?
Male testes (via SRY gene) secrete testosterone and anti-mullerian hormone
Internal sex organs
gonads
Sexual development in XXY
Normal
What kind of immune system is preferred in a partner?
One different from our own
Genitalia at puberty for AIS and 5ARD
Female for AIS and masculine for 5ARD
Male and female sex chromosomes
XX for female and XY for male
What is the sex determining region of the Y chromosome (SRY) gene and what does it do?
Determines if the gonads will be male or female.
How is sex determined?
If the sperm carries an X or Y chromosome
Develops into seminal vesicles, vas deferent, prostate
Wolffian system. Male
Females produce a higher number of these than males
spontaneous otoacoustic emissions (SOAEs)
What do people with androgen insensitivity syndrome lack?
Internal reproductive organs. They are infertile
Do many people with sex polysomies know they have them?
No
4 steps of sex hormone production
- ) Cholesterol to progesterone
- ) Progesterone to testosterone (androgen)
- ) Aromatization (changing the molecule) necessary to form estradiol
- ) Estradiol to estrogens
What does thyroxine do and where is it produced?
Metabolic rate produced in thyroid gland
What do gonads do?
Produce eggs or sperm (gametes) and secrete hormones (more important for our purposes)
Learned/sociocultural characteristic of being masculine or feminine
Gender
Is testosterone found only in males?
No
Effects of congenital adrenal hyperplasia in males
Few observable effects. Ceiling effect, adding a little testosterone to a lot
Physical and psychological symptoms immediately prior to the onset of menstruation
Premenstrual syndrome (PMS)
