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Brain And Behaviour > Sex And The Brain > Flashcards

Sex And The Brain Flashcards

1
Q

Define sex

A

Biological state of being male or female, and is determined by chromosomes, hormones and body anatomy.

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2
Q

Define gender

A

Set of behaviours and attributes a culture associated with men and women.

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3
Q

Define gender identity

A

Our perception of our own gender

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4
Q

How many genes are in the X and Y chromosome?

A

X - 800 genes
Y - 50 genes

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5
Q

What does the sex-determining region of the Y chromosome (SRY) code for?

A

Protein called testis-determining factor (TDF)

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6
Q

Where is the SRY gene located?

A

Short arm of Y chromosome

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7
Q

Define turner syndrome

A

Partial or complete absence of one X chromosome in a female (XO genotype)

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8
Q

What are the characteristics of turner syndrome?

A

Short stature
Receding jaw
Webbed neck
Visuospatial and memory difficulties

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9
Q

Define Klinefelter syndrome

A

Extra X chromosome

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10
Q

How do the gonads determine sex?

A

During first 6 weeks of pregnancy, no changes but contains the Wolffian duct and Müllerian duct

Male - Wolffian duct develops into male internal reproductive system due to release of testosterone. Mullerian-inhibiting factor also produced to inhibit female organs.

Female - Müllerian duct develops and Wolffian degenerates

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11
Q

Name male hormones

A

Androgens

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12
Q

Name female hormones

A

Estrogens

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13
Q

What is estradiol synthesised from?

A

Testosterone using aromatase

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14
Q

What is the primarily responsibility of the testes?

A

Release of androgens

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15
Q

What is the principal female hormone?

A

Estradiol and progesterone - secreted by ovaries

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16
Q

Name the two hormones secreted by the pituitary gland for normal sexual development?

A

Luteinizing hormone (LH)

Follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH)

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17
Q

Describe role of gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH)

A

Causes release of LH and FSH

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18
Q

What does gonadotrophins stimulate in males?

A

LH stimulates the testes to produce testosterone

FSH matures sperm cells

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19
Q

What does gonadotrophins stimulate in females?

A

LH and FSH cause the secretion of estrogen from the ovaries - menstrual cycle

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20
Q

State the sexual response cycle

A

Arousal
Plateau
Orgasm
Resolution

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21
Q

What is the pathway from genitals to brain

A

Axons from mechanoreceptors in the pen is and clitoris collect in the dorsal roots of the sacral spinal cord. They then send branches into the dorsal horns of the cord and into the dorsal columns through which they project toward the brain

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22
Q

Engorgement and erection are primarily controlled by what?

A

Axons in the parasympathetic division of the ANS

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23
Q

What does parasympathetic nerve endings release during sexual arousal?

A

ACh, vasoactive intestinal, polypeptide (VIP) and nitric oxide (NO)

Cause relaxation of arteries and the spongy substance of the clitoris and penis

24
Q

What completes the sexual response cycle?

A

Sympathetic division of the ANS

25
Q

What does the sympathetic efferent axon trigger in men and women?

A

Men - emission
Women - orgasm

26
Q

Define polygyny

A

Male mates with many females but the female mates with only one male for one or multiple mating seasons

27
Q

Define polyandry

A

One female mates with many males but the male mates with one female

28
Q

Define monogamy

A

Male and female forms tightly bound relationship that includes exclusive mating

29
Q

What is the difference between prairie voles and montane voles?

A

Prairie voles - monogamy
Montane voles - only female looks after children

30
Q

What effects does vasopressin have on mating?

A

High = forms relationship

Low/ blocked = no attachment

31
Q

How does oxytocin and vasopressin assist in parenting habits

A

High levels = more bonding

32
Q

What brain areas are activated when people see a picture of partner or children

A

Anterior cingulate cortex, caudate nucleus, striatum

33
Q

Define sexual dimorphism

A

A sex related difference in structure or behaviour

34
Q

What is the sexually dimorphic nucleus?

A

A nucleus ear the third ventricle which is 5-8 times larger in males than females

35
Q

What neurons in the pre optic area are different in men and women?

A

Interstitial nuclei of the anterior hypothalamus (INAH)

Larger in men, particularly the INAH 3

36
Q

What do women tend to perform better on then men?

A

Verbal tasks
Naming objects of same colour
Listing words beginning with the same letter
Verbal memory

37
Q

What do men outperform women in?

A

Map reading
Maze learning
Mathematical reasoning
Mental rotation of objects

38
Q

How do steroids influence neurons?

A
  1. Act quickly in altering membrane excitability, sensitivity to neurotransmitters, or neurotransmitter release.
  2. Diffuse across the outer membrane and bind to specific types of of steroids receptors in the cytoplasm and nucleus
39
Q

Define organisational effect

A

The ability of a hormone to influence the prenatal development of sexual organs and the brain

40
Q

Define activational effect

A

The ability of a hormone to activate reproductive processes or behaviours in a mature organism.

41
Q

What hormone causes the changes in gene expression responsible for masculinisation?

A

Estrogen - testosterone levels lead to increase in estrogen level s

42
Q

What is a-fetoprotein?

A

A protein found in high concentrations in feral blood, binds estrogen and protects the female foetus from masculinisation.

43
Q

What happens to a mouse that lacks a-fetoprotein?

A

Sterile and do not exhibit normal sexual behaviours

44
Q

What levels of a-fetoprotein in found in Down syndrome

A

Unusually low levels

45
Q

What are prostaglandins and what is there role?

A

Compounds derived from arachidonic acid - requires cyclooxygenase (COX) for synthesis

Produced after tissue damage and involved in inducing pain and fever

46
Q

What did COX inhibits do to rodents?

A

Males - Reduced copulatory behaviour as rats

Females - exhibited male like copulatory behaviour. Increased masculinisation

47
Q

What is lordosis

A

Fail to elicit they typical female mating posture

48
Q

What are androgen-insensitive men?

A

Defecting androgens gene on X chromosome

Look and behave like female. Undescended testes

49
Q

What is congenital adrenal hyperplasia?

A

Secrete large amounts of androgens - external genitals are intermediate between a normal clitoris and penis

50
Q

What is the role of genes?

A

Direct the development of the gonads, and the hormonal secretions of the gonads control sexual differentiation.

51
Q

What is the purpose of the fru gene in flies?

A

Presence - develops courtship behaviour in males

Absence - normal female behaviour

52
Q

What happens when leptin levels rise during pregnancy?

A

Appetite and food consumption increase

53
Q

Does fatherhood change the brain in marmosets?

A

Yes

Fathers - higher density of dendritic spines on pyramidal cells and more vassopressin receptors

54
Q

How does estradiol affect neurons.

A

Modulates flow of potassium ions, estradiol depolarises some neurons and cause them to fire more action potentials

Increases dendritic spines

55
Q

How does estradiol affect maze runners?

A

Enhances performance hours later

56
Q

How does INAH potentially affect sexual orientation?

A

INAH 3 is half the size in gay men when compared to straight men

Brain And Behaviour (9 decks)

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