Chapter 5

Question 1

Prolactin is primarily produced by the ____ in response to _____

Answer 1

anterior pituitary; prolactin-releasing factor (prod by hypothalamus)

Question 2

What is the main role of prolactin in females?

Answer 2

• lactating and milk production after childbirth
• levels rise steadily during pregnancy to prepare

Question 3

What are 3 main roles of prolactin in males?

Answer 3

• regulation of immune system
• metabolism
• reproduction (sperm prod and reg of T levels)

Question 4

Oxytocin is primarily produced in the ___ and released by the _____

Answer 4

hypothalamus; posterior pituitary gland

Question 5

What are 4 key roles of oxytocinin females?

Answer 5

• stimulates uterine contractions during labor and promotes ejection of milk during breastfeeding
• maternal behaviour (attachment)
• stress regulation (attenuates release of stress hormones)
• social behaviours (eg empathy, generosity, social cog)

Question 6

Estradiol (from the same family as ____), is primarily produced by the ______

Answer 6

estrogen; ovaries (small amounts in testes for men)

Question 7

What is the role of estradiol in women?

Answer 7

• development and maintenance of reproductive tissues
• influences secondary sexual characteristics

Question 8

At which phase in the menstrual cycle do estradiol levels rise?

Answer 8

follicular phase (before ovulation)

Question 9

How is estradiol synthesized in men?

Answer 9

• testosterone converted to estradiol through action of enzyme aromatase

Question 10

Progesterone is mainly produced by the _____

Answer 10

corpus luteum in the ovary after ovulation

Question 11

In women, progesterone helps _____

Answer 11

prepare uterine lining for implantation

Question 12

During pregnancy, progesterone is primarily produced by the _____

Answer 12

placenta

Question 13

In both men and women, small amounts of progesterone are also produced by the ______. These hormones play various roles, including ____ and ____

Answer 13

adrenal glands; regulating metabolism and stress response

Question 14

At what phase of the menstrual cycle is progesterone the highest?

Answer 14

luteal phase (after ovulation)

Question 15

At what phase of the menstrual cycle are LH and FSH highest?

Answer 15

right before ovulation (end of follicular phase)

Question 16

Vasopressin (AKA _____) is a peptide hormone primarily produced in the _____ and released by the _____

Answer 16

antidiuretic hormone (ADH); hypothalamus; posterior pituitary gland

Question 17

What role does vasopressin play in parental/social behaviour?

Answer 17

• high levels ass w pair bonding, parental behaviour, aggression/territoriality, social recognition and memory
• in some species is more important for affiliation than oxytocin! (esp males)

Question 18

What did the contrasting gorilla zoo incidents demonstrate?

Answer 18

• female gorillas who were lactating protected kids (high oxytocin)
• make gorilla tried to drown screaming child (testosterone)

Question 19

From an evolutionary perspective, the only currency of reproductive success is ______

Answer 19

production of successful offspring (so need to invest in care)

Question 20

Parental behaviour can be defined as behaviours performed in relation to one’s offspring that _____

Answer 20

contribute directly to the survival of fertilized eggs or offspring that have left the body of the female

Question 21

parental investment can be defined as the extent to which parents _____

Answer 21

compromise their ability to produce additional offspring in order to assist current offspring

Question 22

In most species of mammals (males/females) are the choosier sex and invest the (least/most) in parental care

Answer 22

females; most

Question 23

What is the difference between precocial and altricial born offspring?

Answer 23

• Precocial: born @ advanced stage of dev, require little or no parental intervention for survival (ex guinea pigs still need to be fed but can walk and see)
• Altricial: born @ early stage of dev, quite helpless and require substantial care to survive (ex kangaroos, dogs and rats who can’t regulate temp)

Question 24

Humans are (precocials/altricials)

Answer 24

semi-precocials (able to thermoregulate which sets us apart from altricial species–this is why preemies need incubators)

Question 25

Parental investment theory argues that parental investment varies according to ____, ____ and ____

Answer 25

maturity at birth, number and survival fit

Question 26

What is lactational amenorrhea and what causes it? What other species is it similar in?

Answer 26

- menstrual interruption when breastfeeding - high prolactin suppresses GnRH release - less GnRH leads to decreased LH by anterior pituitary - inadequate LH secretion inhibits progression of follicular phase so no ovulation! - similar in hens

Question 27

In what species are males as capable of females at providing parental care?

Answer 27

avians (birds)

Question 28

What are the 3 types of parenting models displayed in birds?

Answer 28

- biparental - females only (chickens) - adoptive (alloparental care)

Question 29

increased blood concentrations of ____ are ass w broodiness in all female birds studied to date. How was this first discovered?

Answer 29

- prolactin! (broody behaviour is maternal care) - blood serum from broody hen could induce a non incubating hen to sit on a clutch of eggs!

Question 30

After maternal behavior has been initiated by hormones, how is it maintained in hens?

Answer 30

- any contact (even w young of another species) - cute picture of hen warming kittens w her wings

Question 31

When hens have higher levels of prolactin, the produce more ____

Answer 31

crop milk (secretions from lining of crop that is regurgitated to young)

Question 32

In birds, when do sex steroid hormones increase, peak, and decrease?

Answer 32

- increase w onset of courtship behaviour - peak during time of egg laying - rapidly decrease to baseline prior to incubation

Question 33

In birds, when do prolactin levels increase, peak, and decrease?

Answer 33

- IF EGG IS FERTILIZED: - increase at time of egg laying - remain high during incubation - decrease gradually during post-hatching care

Question 34

In alloparental birds, prolactin concentrations correlate with ____

Answer 34

amount of care provided to offspring

Question 35

How do prolactin levels differ in precocial vs altricial species?

Answer 35

- precocial: decline at time of hatching - altricial: remain high throughout chick rearing (even longer for species w long absence from the nest like penguins)

Question 36

In mammals, which hormone is critical for the onset of maternal behavior?

Answer 36

estrogen!! (very elevated around time of birth)

Question 37

How do hormone concentrations in human pregnancy differ from other mammals?

Answer 37

- high conc of both estradiol and progesterone throughout pregnancy - precipitous drop in concentration of both at parturition (believed to contribute to the onset of postpartum depression) - in rats and other species, estradiol keeps rising after parturition

Question 38

in mammals, oxytocin and endorphins increase around ____

Answer 38

time of parturition and stay high after!

Question 39

Why do we see elevated cortisol in mammalian pregancy?

Answer 39

- can lower progesterone and suppress immune reactions of mother towards fetus!!

Question 40

(T/F) we can induce maternal behavior in rats via blood transfusion from new mother

Answer 40

FALSE, need sensitization first

Question 41

How does the hormonal control of maternal aggression differ from the control of other maternal behaviours?

Answer 41

- usually requires presence of pups and not juts hormones - progesterone plays big role in mediating maternal aggression

Question 42

Within the CNS, receptors for oxytocin are found within the ______, ____and_____, and ____and_____

Answer 42

olfactory system, limbic-hypothalamic system and ventral forebrain, and in brainstem and spinal cord

Question 43

In first time human mothers, high cortisol is associated with ___ behaviours

Answer 43

approach (more affectionate w baby; find odor more appealing) **don't see this w more experienced mothers

Question 44

How is oxytocin associated with parental behaviour in humans?

Answer 44

- high oxytocin ass w more affectionate contact in both parents - women w greatest increase in oxytocin as pregnancy progresses show highest levels of maternal bonding

Question 45

In men, (lower/higher) prolactin and (lower/higher) testosterone are associated with higher parental care

Answer 45

higher prolactin, lower testosterone (BUT T can promote paternal behaviour in some mice via conversion to estradiol)

Question 46

expectant human fathers have higher/lower: - estradiol - testosterone - cortisol

Answer 46

- higher estradiol - lower testosterone - lower cortisol

Question 47

Dr. Laura Glynn argues that ____ is a critical period in human female neurodevelopment

Answer 47

perinatal period (pregnancy)

Question 48

Pregnant women have an (increased/decreased) stress response. Why is this useful?

Answer 48

- DECREASED - can protect fetus from effects of stress - enhances ability to deal w threats

Question 49

Social behaviour can be defined as interactions between individuals from which ____

Answer 49

one of more of the individuals benefit

Question 50

Affiliation is a form of social behaviour that eveolved from ___ and involves _____

Answer 50

- evolved from parental behaviour - involves an individual's motivation to approach and remain in close proximity with a conspecific

Question 51

What hormone plays a role in social familiarity (first stage of social bonding)?

Answer 51

oxytocin

Question 52

endogenous oxytocin is more important in pair formation in (males/females) while endogenous vasopressin is more important for (males/females)

Answer 52

females; males

Question 53

Oxytocin can give a "boost" in ____ and ____

Answer 53

romantic perception (see partner as more attractive) and affiliation

Question 54

Married men usually have (higher/lower) testosterone vs single men

Answer 54

lower! (polyamorous males have high levels similar to single)

Question 55

(T/F) high testosterone is ass w increased aggression across many species in males and females

Answer 55

TRUE

Question 56

testosterone's influence on aggression can be influenced by ___ and ___

Answer 56

social context and sex

Question 57

When men (but not women) win, they have (increased/decreased) testosterone which leads to (more/less) aggressive behaviour

Answer 57

increased; more