Sex Flashcards
What is sexual dimorphism?
condition where the two sexes of the same species exhibit differents characteristics other than their sexual organs
What are some example of caracteristics that can illustrate dimorphism?
- size
- weight
- color
- behavior
- cognition
What is the sexual dimorphism between the male and the female of the triplewart seadevil?
the female is very big and the male is a tiny rudimentary parasitary createure
What are sexual dimorphic behaviors?
behaviors that take different forms/occur with different probabilities/ occur under different circumstances across males and females of the same species
What is the most striking category of sexual dimorphic behaviors in mammals?
reproductive behaviors
Is the brain a sexually dimorphic organ?
yes
How is the brain a sexually dimorphic organ?
The size and interconnectivity of certain brain regions vary according to sex
In terms of human behavior, what are on average the sexually dimorphic characteristics?
- talents
- temperaments
- interests
Why is the sexual dimorphism of the brain so important to mental illness research?
drug research and development
Why was research mostly done on male rodents?
the estrous cycle of the female modifies behavior
What is the definition of sex?
what is determined at birth by the presence of particular sex chromosomes, hormones and organs
What is the definition of gender?
- range of characteristics that pertain to masculinity and femininity
- associated with the sexes
- characteristics reflect both biology and culture
What determines the characteristics of gender?
- biology
- culture
What is gender expression?
expression of masculinity and femininity
What is a gender role?
behaviors and attitudes deemed typical/appropriate/desirable for people of a given sex
What is the definition of sexual behavior?
actual sex act performed by individuals
What is the definition of sexual orientation?
ine’s enduring romantic/sexual attractions
What is sexual identity?
an individual’s conception of themselves in terms of whether they identidy or not with a sexual orientation
What is the definiciton of gender identity?
one’s personal sense of their gender
What influences the development of the brain?
biology and culture
How is the definition of gender types generally constructed? what influences it?
- differs across time and culture
- socially constructed from shared experiences
- small influence of biology
What determines the strength of the influence of biological differences?
the culture!
In what type of cultures are biological differences the most influential?
- everyone is treated the same
- gender is not taught
Why do we affirm that there is evidence of sexual dimorphism in the brain, if the influence of culture is so great?
evidence of brain sexual dimorphism in non cultural animals
In species with sexes, how is this relevant to reproduction?
- involves some sort of intercourse
- involves the fusion of gametes
- involves a member of each sex
What are gametes?
Mature reproductive cells
What are gonads?
the sexual organs that produce gametes
Where are gametes produced?
in the gonads
What are the different types of gametes?
- ova
- sperm
What are the different gonads?
- testes
- ovaries
What is particular about the genome of gametes?
the only contain one copy of each chromosome
What are the five factors present at brith used to determine an animal’s biological sex?
- sex chromosomes
- gonads
- sex hormones
- internal reproductive anatomy
- external anatomy
What determines which gonads you have?
a signaling cascade initiated by the DNA in the sex chromosomes
What are the three categories of sex organ?
- gonads
- internal reproductive anatomy
- external anatomy
What happens when not all of the sex determinants are of the same type?
intersex conditions (impossible to determine if male or female)
What are the embryonic sex organs?
- precursors for sex organs
- undifferentiated gonads
- mullerian system
- wollfian system
What is the Mullerian system?
embryonic precursor of female internal sex organs
What is the Wollfian system?
embryonic precursors of male internal sex organs
When do the gonads differentiate?
second month of gestation
When are the internal sexual organs developed from one of the systems?
thrid month of gestation
What are androgens?
male sex hormones
What is the main mammalian androgen?
testosterone
What releases testosterone?
testes
What is the defeminizing effect?
- effect of anti-mullerian hormone
- prevents development of female-typical internal anatomy