Testosterone Flashcards
Sex hormones are produced by the…
gonads (ovaries + testes) and adrenal gland
2 main types of sex hormones
androgens (including testosterone + anabolic steroids)
oestrogen (including estradiol)
Sex hormones are important in the…
development of sexually distinct traits in humans
Although both present in everyone, ________ are viewed as the ‘male’ hormone and _______ as the ‘female’ hormone.
male - androgens
female - oestrogen
Primary characteristics of testosterone
causes maturation of male genitalia and sperm production
Secondary characteristics of testosterone
facial + genital hair voice change shifts in hairline muscle development redistribution of body fat
In females, testosterone is produced in…
adrenal cortex and ovaries
There is _____ times more testosterone in males than in females.
seven
2 measures of testosterone
fluctuating levels
prenatal levels
Fluctuating levels of testosterone account for…
competition
aggression
dominance
Prenatal levels of testosterone account for…
physical features - e.g. facial structure, digit length, symmetry
Greatest difference in testosterone is between week __ and week __ of gestation
8 and 16
Foetal testosterone and brain lateralisation
Geschwind & Galaburda (1985):
Foetal testosterone facilitates growth in regions of the RIGHT hemisphere, and inhibits growth in the same regions of the LEFT hemisphere
Foetal testosterone and ‘male’ behaviour
Goy et al. (1988)
- Pregnant rhesus monkeys injected with testosterone
- Daughters born with external male genitalia and displayed more male behaviours in infancy e.g. rough play
- Mothers injected with T last in pregnancy had daughters with male behaviour but NOT genitalia
Foetal testosterone and spatial ability
Williams et al. (1990)
- Female rats injected after birth perform better than other females on maze learning and as well as male rats (exposed to fT throughout gestation)
- peri-natal as well as pre-natal effects of testosterone