The role of chromosomes and hormones in sex and gender Flashcards
What are chromosomes made from?
DNA
Genes are short sections of what?
DNA
Genes are short sections of DNA that determine…
the characteristics of a living thing
How many chromosomes are in the human body?
46
There are __ chromosomes in the human body that are arranged into __ pairs
46, 23
How are the 46 chromosomes in the human body arrange?
Into 23 pairs
Which pair of chromosomes determines biological sex?
The last
What is the chromosomal structure for females?
XX
What is the chromosomal structure for males?
XY
Why are the chromosomal structures for biological sex named XX and XY?
Because of how they appear when viewed under a microscope
All normal egg cells produced by a human ovary have an _ chromosome
X
Which chromosome is carried by sperm?
Either an X or Y
What is a baby’s sex determined by?
The sperm that fertilises the egg cell
The baby will be female if the fertilising sperm carries an _ chromosome
X
The baby will be male if the fertilising sperm carries a _ chromosome
Y
What gene does the Y chromosome carry?
A gene called the ‘sex-determining region Y’ or ‘SRY’ for short
What is SRY short for?
Sex-determining region Y
What does the SRY gene cause?
Testes to develop in an XY embryo that produce androgens - male sex hormones
Androgens
Male sex hormones
If testes develop in an XY embryo, what do these produce?
Androgens
True/False: All babies follow the same basic pattern of XX or XY chromosomes
False, e.g. in cases such as Turners
What initially determine a person’s sex?
Chromosomes
Although chromosomes initially determine a person’s sex, most gender development actually comes about through the influence of…
hormones
Prenatally in the womb, ________ act upon brain development and cause development of reproductive organs
hormones
Where do hormones act upon brain development and cause development of reproductive organs?
Prenatally in the womb
At puberty, during adolescence, a burst of what triggers the development of secondary sexual characteristics?
Hormonal activity
When does a burst of hormonal activity trigger the development of secondary sexual characteristics
At puberty, during adolescence
True/False: Pubic hair is an example of a secondary sexual characteristic
True
True/False: Males and females produce many of the same hormones
True
Males and females produce many of the same hormones but in…
different concentrations
Of primary importance in male development are a number of hormones called what?
Androgens
What is the most widely known androgen?
Testosterone
Of primary importance in male/female development are a number of hormones called androgens, most widely known of which is testosterone
male
True/False: Testosterone is present in small quantities in women
True
Testosterone is a male/female hormone
male
Which hormone controls the development of male sex organs during foetal development?a
Testosterone
What happens if a genetic male produces no testosterone during foetal development?
No male sex organs appear
What happens if a genetic female produces high levels of testosterone during foetal development?
Male sex organs may appear
According to evolutionary explanation, high levels of testosterone are also linked to aggression because…
it is adaptive
According to evolutionary explanation, aggression towards rivals allows males to do what?
Compete for the opportunity to mate with a fertile female
According to evolutionary explanation, the fact that women tend children means that men are more likely to take on what role?
The hunter role
According to evolutionary explanation, the fact that women tend children means that men are more likely to take on the hunter role, and their success would be enhanced by…
aggressiveness
True/False: Evidence supports the role of sex hormones in gender development even in mature males
True
Who was the link between increased testosterone and sexual behaviour confirmed by?
Christina Wang et al. (2000)
Male hypogonadism
A condition caused by a man’s testes failing to produce normal levels of the male sex hormone, testosterone
What did Wang et al. (2000) do?
Gave 227 hypogonadal men testosterone therapy for 180 days
Who gave 227 hypogonadal men testosterone therapy for 180 days?
Wang et al. (2000)
Wang et al. (2000) gave ___ hypogonadal men testosterone therapy for 180 days
227
Wang et al. (2000) gave 227 ___________ men testosterone therapy for 180 days
hypogonadal
Wang et al. (2000) gave 227 hypogonadal men _________ therapy for 180 days
testosterone
Wang et al. (2000) gave 227 hypogonadal men testosterone therapy for ___ days
180
Give 2 examples of things that Wang et al. (2000) monitored when giving 227 hypogonadal men testosterone therapy for 180 days
Any 2 from changes in body shape, muscle strength, sexual function and libido
Wang et al. (2000) found that testosterone replacement improved what in their sample?
Sexual function, libido and mood and significant increases in muscle strength
Wang et al. (2000)’s study into testosterone therapy for hypogonadal men shows that testosterone exerts a powerful and direct influence on which two things?
Male sexual arousal as well as physical development in adulthood
Daryl O’Connor et al. (2004)’s evidence for the effect of testosterone is more/less convincing
less
What kind of study did O’Connor et al. (2004) conduct?
A double-blind placebo study
What did O’Connor et al. (2004) do?
Increased testosterone levels in healthy young men
What did O’Connor et al. (2004) find from increasing testosterone levels in healthy young men?
There were no significant increases in the interactional (ie. frequency of sexual intercourse) or non-interactional (i.e. sex drive) components of sexual behaviour in participants
Notably, the men in O’Connor et al. (2004)’s study experienced what kind of change in their aggression or anger levels during the investigation?
No change
