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Neuroscience > Sex Differences > Flashcards

Sex Differences Flashcards

1
Q

Name the types of Sex Differences:

A

Genetic or chromosomal sex
Gonadal sex
Internal reproductive system
External reproductive system
Pubertal sex changes
Hormonal sex
Brain sex
Behavioural and ‘cognitive’ sex
Sexual identity

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2
Q

Before birth, the Permanent alterations in body or CNS induced by a hormone at a ‘critical’ period in development are known as?

A

Organisational effects of sex hormones produced by fetal gonads

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2
Q

Development of sex organs:
We start with Undifferentiated Internal pre-cursers of our Gonads which turn into either ovaries or testies
and what els?

A

Undifferentiated External sex organs which turn into the fully developed male or female sex organs

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2
Q

After birth, the Hormonal effects that occur in the fully developed organism; depend on previous organisational effects are known as?

A

Activational effects of sex hormones produced by gonads

(may drive mating behaviour)

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3
Q

Factors determining the development of male sex organs:

Y chromosome codes for testis-determining factor is also known as what type of factor?

A

a transcription factor

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3
Q

What is the name of the defeminising hormone produced by the testis?

A

Anti- Mullerian Hormone

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4
Q

What is the name of the masculinising hormone produced by the testis?

A

Androgens

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4
Q

Y chromosome codes for testis-determining factor binds to DNA in what?

A

In cells of undifferentiated gonads and causes them to become testes

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5
Q

Which hormone inhibits the development of pre-curser female internal organs?

A

Anti- Mullerian Hormone

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6
Q

Name the 2 type of androgens:

A

Testosterone and Dihydrotestosterone

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7
Q

Which type of androgen:
acts on androgen receptors in cells of the Wolffian system to stimulate its development into male internal sex organs?

A

Testosterone

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7
Q

Which type of androgen:
is produced from testosterone by 5alpha reductase,
acts on androgen receptors in the primordial external genitals?

A

Dihydrotestosterone

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8
Q

True of false:
By default, primordial sex organs develop into female sex organs.

A

True

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9
Q

In the absence of testis-determining factor primordial gonads develop into?

A

Ovaries

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9
Q

In the absence of androgens produced by testes, internal and external sex organs develop into?

A

Female organs
(without any other hormonal influences necessary)

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9
Q

The genetic sex of a human fetus is determined by?

A

The father’s sperm.

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10
Q

The prenatal development of female internal sex organs requires?

A

No hormones at all.

Default

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11
Q

Which syndrome is caused by
-a congenital lack of functioning androgen receptors in a person with XY sex chromosomes
-causes the development of a female with testes but no internal sex organs?

A

Androgen insensitivity syndrome

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11
Q

Which syndrome is caused by
-congenital lack of anti-Mullerian hormone
-causing the development of both male and female internal sex organs in an XY individual (male)

A

Persistent Mullerian Duct syndrome

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11
Q

Which syndrome is cause by
-the presence of only one sex chromosome
(an X chromosome)
-resulting in a lack of ovaries but otherwise normal female sex organs and genitalia

A

Turner’s syndrome

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11
Q

Puberty is triggered by hypothalamic secretion of…

A

Puberty is triggered by hypothalamic secretion of gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH).

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12
Q

Axillary and pubic hair in females are stimulated by?

A

Testosterone produced by cortex of adrenal glands.

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13
Q

Name the 2 types of Gonotrophic hormones released from the pituitary gland at puberty

A

Follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH)
Luteinising hormone (LH)

14
Q

Why is it important that sex cell hormones are lipophilic means?

A

They can go through the cell membrane compounds activating the transcription factor.

15
Q

Hypothalamic hormones are peptides. What does this mean?

A

Hydrophilic (do not dissolve in fatty substances easily)
Act on membrane receptors

16
Q

Without effects of androgens how would female animals behave?

A

Female animals would behave in a female way
as the sex organs, the animal’s brain and behaviour would by default develop in a female way

17
Q

What is the organisational hypothesis?

A

The idea that female animals will behave in a female way as long as androgens are not implanted during the critical period.

If they are, this will alter their adult sexual behaviour
making them more masculine (androgenic effects) and less feminine (de-feminisation)

17
Q

Explain these processes of sexual differentiation of the body and behaviour:

A

Genetic sex differences
Development of different Gonads (Ovaries/Testis)
Ovaries/ Testis produce different hormones#

O= Feminisation effect
T= Androgenic (masculising) De-feminising effects

Leading to expression of sex differences in activation effects

18
Q

Masculising effects of testosterone can be blocked/ mediated by…

A

Estrogenic receptors
So give them Estrogenic receptor blockers

18
Q

Which hypothesis assumes that in some CNS cells, testosterone is converted to estrogen (by enzyme aromatase)
before it acts on estrogen receptors to exert masculinising effects.

A

Aromatisation hypothesis

18
Q

Which hypothesis strongly supports the finding that alpha-fetoprotein mutant mice (mice that don’t produce the protein)
show masculinised brains and behaviour?

A

Protection hypothesis

19
Q

Which hypothesis was developed to explain why female eggs do not become masculinised even though estrogen produces masculinising effects?

A

Protection hypothesis

Brains of developing rodents are ‘protected’ from the indiscriminate masculinising action of estrogen
by an estrogen-binding protein in the blood
(alpha-fetoprotein).

Testosterone is not bound by the protein, so can enter CNS cells where it can be converted to estrogen and then exert its masculinising effects.

19
Q

Which statement is correct?

Organisational effects occur only during critical periods.

Activational effects occur only during critical periods.

Organisational effects are typically reversible.

Activational effects are permanent.

A

Organisational effects occur only during critical periods.

20
Q

Describe the Heterosexual mating behaviour in mammals:

A

Attractivity
Proceptivity (willingness to mate)
Receptivity (ability to mate)
all modulated by the hormonal cycle
-need to be met

These are all under hormonal control and are key to willingness to mate

21
Q

The largest behavioral sex differences are seen in…

A

Sexual orientation and core sexual identity
-in humans

21
Q

During the menstral cycle Pregnancy is only possible during a certain time of the cycle around ovulation (when estrogen and progesterone levels are high).

A

Repetitive changes in ovaries
It matures
Uterus lining is growing and changing preparing for pregnancy
Reproduction is only possible during the ovulation period

22
Q

True or False:
Hormonal cycles do not influence behavioural, cognitive, and affective functions that are not directly related to reproductive behaviour.

A

False, they may do

22
Q

In female rats, Female sexual behaviour is linked with the reproductive cycle and controlled by the hormonal fluctuations.

Females can mate only during a certain time of the cycle around ovulation (behavioural estrous), except for who?

A

Primate females who can mate any time.
Hormonal control is more flexible in primates

23
Q

Which area of the brain is critical for sexual behaviour in both male and female rats?

A

Medial Amygdala

23
Q

Which area of the brain is critical for sexual differentiated mating behaviour in both male and female rats?

A

Medial Amygdala

23
Q

Which area of the brain is only critical for male rodent sexual behaviour?

A

Hypothalamus

-destroy this or block T, then the males will not mate

Eg. activational effects of Testosterone

23
Q

Which area of the brain is only critical for female rodent sexual behaviour?

A

Ventral Medial Hypothalamus

-destroy this or block E, then females will not mate

Depends of actiavtional effects of Estrogen

23
Q

Sex circuits contain sex hormone receptors, and these are critical for sex differences in mating behaviour:

Name the hormones for males and females sexual behaviour

A

Testosterone for male behaviour,

Estradiol and Progestorone for female behaviour

23
Q

The Sexually dimorphic nucleus of the preoptic area
(SDN-POA)
and
the posterodorsal medial amygdala (MePD)
are part of the medial preoptic area which is important for sexual behaviour.

Name their functions

A

(SDN-POA) = masculinised by T during critical perinatal period

(MePD) = Volume/ cell size depends on T action in adulthood

23
Q

What happends if we destroy the medial preoptic area?

A

Sexual behaviour is destroyed

24
Q

What happens if we destroy the medial amygdala in male rats?

A

Sexual behaviour is disrupted

24
Q

In humans, there is evidence for some aspects of aggression being sexually dimorphic
Findings showed:
statistical significance

A

Males were rated higher overall in
Verbal Aggression
Physical Aggression
and Interpersonal Competitiveness

Differentiating between heterosexual and homosexual males in 90’s

24
Q

Name the sex advantages for females in cognition:

A
24
Q

Name the sex advantages for males in cognition:

A
25
Q

Sex differences in the hippocampus have also been found in?

A

rats and men
(even though in rodents, the hippocampus tends to be larger in males than in females, whereas in humans the opposite is the case!).
Origin of these sex differences is not clear.

25
Q

Sex differences in mental rotation and water jar task shows:

A

Men do better, effect size .5 replicated findings

25
Q

Sex differences in rapid place learning and mental rotation:

Although men were on average better on both tests…

A

Performance measures on place learning and mental rotation test did not significantly correlate

Implies that sex differences on these two tests are likely to rely on different neuro-psychological mechanisms

26
Q

Cognitive sex differences between the average female and average male allow only very limited predictions concerning cognitive abilities of individuals!

A

If men are on average better on a rapid place learning or mental rotation test with an effect size (Cohen’s d) of 0.5, this means that for any randomly picked male the probability of him being better on these tasks than any randomly picked female is 64%. (not much better than chance)

If there is no average sex difference, the probability is 50%.

26
Q

Sex differences in brain sites are not primarily associated with sexual behaviour (not clear)

So, if these neuroanatomical sexual dimorphisms contribute to sex differences in behaviour and cognition is known or not known?

A

Is not known.

26
Q

Affective disorders (with the exception of mania) and anxiety disorders are more prevalent in men or women?

A

Women

27
Q

Substance abuse disorders and antisocial personality disorder are more prevalent in men or women?

A

Men

27
Q

Autism-spectrum disorders are more prevalent in males or females?

A

Males
-This finding has prompted the Extreme-Male-Brain Theory of Autism

Neuroscience (8 decks)

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