Lecture 6: Female Reproductive Behaviors

Question 1

When females are ‘in heat’ it means they are in behavioral ___ and permit mating

Answer 1

Estrous

Question 2

During behavioral ____, females will not seek out males, initiate copulation, or preferentially spend time with males

Answer 2

Anestrous

Question 3

What stages of male reproductive behavior in rats are not possible without lordosis?

Answer 3

Intromission and ejaculation

Question 4

Are females active participants in reproductive behaviors?

Answer 4

Yes - however up until mid 1970s it was believed they females were passive recipients of male reproductive behaviors (still primary notion in bird research)

Question 5

What four behaviors are seen in females who are in behavioral estrus?

Answer 5

-Lordosis
-Approach and dart away
-Hop a certain distance, wait, and move back
-Wiggle ears

Question 6

____ is a stimulus value of a female for a given male

Answer 6

Attractiveness

Question 7

______ is the extent to which a female initiates copulation?

Answer 7

Proprioceptive

Question 8

___ is the female’s state of responsiveness to the sexual initiation of another individual

Answer 8

Receptivity

Question 9

In the real world ___, ___ and ___ all interact and overlap

Answer 9

Attractiveness, proprioceptivity, and receptivity

Question 10

Surgical removal of both ovaries will ___ adult female productive reproductive behaviors in most mammals

Answer 10

stop

Question 11

In humans, the average length of the menstrual cycle is ___ days

Answer 11

28

Question 12

What drives the switch between behavior estrous and behavioral anestrous?

Answer 12

The female reproductive cycle

Question 13

What happens during the follicular phase?

Answer 13

Follicles begin to develop, single mature follicle matures and ovulation occurs

Question 14

When does the corpus luteum develop?

Answer 14

Luteal phase

Question 15

What hormone is elevated during ovulation? Luteal phase?

Answer 15

During ovulation, estrogen is elevated. During the luteal phase, progesterone is elevated.

Question 16

Gonadotropins are secreted by the ____ pituitary

Answer 16

Anterior

Question 17

___ surge triggers ovulation

Answer 17

LH

Question 18

Follicle stimulating hormone becomes elevated during the ___ phase and reaches its peak during __

Answer 18

Follicular; ovulation

Question 19

Describe the positive and negative feedback mechanisms involved in the hypothalamus-anterior pituitary-ovary axis

Answer 19

In positive feedback (ovulation): the anteroventral periventricular nucleus of the SCM (suprachiasmatic nucleus) activates the GnRH neuron, which activates anterior pituitary. In response, anterior pituitary secretes LH/FSH, which activates gonads. Activation of gonads causes release of estradiol, which activates Kiss1 neurons of the AVPN.

In the negative feedback mechanism: the arcuate nucleus of the SCM activates GnRH neuron, which activates the anterior pituitary. In response, the AP secretes LH/FSH, which activates the gonads. Activation of gonads causes release of estradiol, which inhibits Kiss 1 neurons of the AVPN.

Question 20

How do the LH profiles of male and female rats compare?

Answer 20

Males: stays the same, low, over course of 144 hrs
Females: Becomes elevated between 72 and 96 hrs

Question 21

During what phase of the menstrual cycle will females initiate sex the most? The least?

Answer 21

Ovulatory phase; Midluteal

Question 22

Behavioral estrus occurs around what stage of the menstrual cycle?

Answer 22

Ovulation

Question 23

The house mouse and lab rat have an estrous cycle that lasts ___ days

Answer 23

4 to 5

Question 24

What researcher is responsible for examining vaginal smears of guinea pigs to determine external markers of the 16 day estrous cycle and creating the pap smear test?

Answer 24

Dr. George Papanicolau

Question 25

Using vaginal cytology representative of rodent cycle stages, small rounded cells in clusters are present in ___ while cornified cells are present in ____

Answer 25

Behavioral estrous (proestrus) ; vaginal estrous (estrous)