week 7 - hormones, estrogen, testosterone, etc. Flashcards
hormones
chemical messengers that are secreted by a secretory cell into the extracellular fluid
extracellular fluid
fluid space outside of the cell
hormone pathway
- goes into the circulatory system (blood vessels)
- reaches target cells that have receptors specific to the hormone
- bonds to specific receptors that elicit responses/chemical pathways
- can affect physique and physical performance (ex. increase in testosterone is beneficial when performing sports)
ex. pregnancy hormones can affect mood, behavior and cognitive performance
examples of hormones
oxytocin, estrogen, testosterone, etc.
two types of hormones
- steroid - derived from cholesterol
(estrogen and testosterone) - peptide hormones - derived from amino acids
(oxytocin and insulin)
modern medicine may cause us to live longer but cause people to weigh more than they want to
why is cortisol a stress hormone?
produced by the adrenal glands, and is secreted in response to fight or flight situations
do men and women produce either estrogen or testosterone?
both, but either in small amounts or big amounts, all in the ovaries or tests
proximate cause
physiological mechanisms used to describe phenomena
ultimate cause
reasons, historically and evolutionary wise for why something is happening
proximate cause for spatial awareness and testosterone
androgenization of the brain and lateralization
lateralization
the incomplete specialization of the left hemisphere of the brain for language functions and the right hemisphere for visuo spatial processing
ultimate cause for spatial awareness and testosterone
hunter gather societies and men
proximate cause for women and cognitive performance
lateralization
spandrel
phenotypic characteristic that is a byproduct of the evolution of some other characteristic, rather than a direct product of adaptive selection
androgenization on the brain
male hormones, both in utero and in puberty elevate spatial ability
-female hormones may depress spatial ability
sexual dimorphism
systematic difference in form between individuals of different sex in the same species
dimorphic
to have 2 forms
do humans display high amount of sexual dimorphism?
no - you cant really tell between human male and female as you can with female and male gorilla, not counting the effects of socialization and gender norms
the greater the degree of polygamy…
the greater the degree of sex differences
what is high fiber consumption associated with a reduced risk of?
- colon cancer
- lower blood pressure
- improved immune function
what three things happen when blood sugar is low?
- pancreas releases glucagon
- liver releases glucose
- blood glucose rises, and glucagon release stops
hormone
regulators secreted by glands that alter gene function in target cells elsewhere in the body
