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Behavioral Endocrinology > Female reproduction > Flashcards

Female reproduction Flashcards

(50 cards)

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1
Q

parthenogenosis

A

growth and development without fertilization by a male

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2
Q

estrus

A

period when female will permit copulation; aka being in “heat”

  • estrus female’s will seek out males, initiate copulation,, maintain close proximity to males
  • estrus females more attractive (urine/odors), mounted by males preferentially
  • mating behavior is tightly coupled with ovulation
  • mating behaviors (estrus) occur when successful fertilization of the ova is most likely
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3
Q

Hormonal action

A
  • hormones change the probability that specific stimuli will elicit particular behaviors that lead to successful copulation
  • Input systems: acuity, sensitivity, and efficiency of sensory systems are enhanced by reproductive hormones (E females better able to detect and respond to males)
  • CNS: females motivation, attention, and perception change as sex steroid levels fluctuate
  • effectors: way a female moves and responds to stimuli changes
  • behavior: her own behavior, as well as stimuli F emits (odors, chemosensory signals) influence how the males behave, the way males behave may feed back to alter her own behavior
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4
Q

primordial follicle

A

consists of oocyte+ singular layer of granulosa cells

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5
Q

primary follicle

A

consists of oocyte, zone pellucida, granulosa cells (more layers)

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6
Q

pre-antral follicle

A

oocyte, zona pellucida, granulosa cells, developing thecal cells

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7
Q

antrum

A

space that develops between the ovum and granulosa cells; fills with a fluid termed liquor folliculi (follicular fluid)

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8
Q

graafian follicle

A

dominant follicle, one that is ovulated; enlarges due to expanding/growing antrum; enzyme breaks down the wall between the mature ovary and follicle (induced by LH)= bursting of oocyte from follicle= ovulation

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9
Q

corpus leutum

A

degenerated granulosa and thecal cells form the CL, secretes progesterone which maintains the uterine lining needed to sustain a pregnancy; will degenerate into the CA if there is no successful fertilization

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10
Q

corpus albicans

A

degenerated CL

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11
Q

granulosa cells

A

surround the oocyte; grow in number via mitotic division as the follicle matures

  • secrete activin, inhibin, E’s, progesterone
  • acted upon by FSH and LH

FSH: convert androstenedione–> estrogen via aromatase
LH receptor stimulation–> progesterone production–> behavioral estrus
pre-ovulatory: FSH–> activin–> +FSH
post-ovulatory: FSH–> inhibin–> -FSH

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12
Q

thecal cells

A

surround granulosa cells and secrete estrogens

  • acted upon by LH (cholesterol–> androstenedione)
  • ??does LH stimulate E release in thecal cells?
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13
Q

oogenesis

A

development of the ovum

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14
Q

oogonium

A

immature female reproductive cell that gives rise to primary oocytes by mitosis; 3rd prenatal month

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15
Q

primary oocyte

A

immature egg cell; 6th prenatal month–> does not undergo meiosis 1 (stuck at prophase 1) until puberty (first period)

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16
Q

secondary oocyte

A

product of meiosis one–puberty has begun, and meiosis continues as folliculogenesis proceeds as stimulated by FSH

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17
Q

ovum development

A

ovum is the product of fertilization and meiosis 2–an ovum will NOT DEVELOP WITHOUT FERTILIZATION
-ovum will begin to undergo cell divisions into a mature egg, where it will eventually implant into the uterine lining

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18
Q

ovulation

A

release of an ovum from a follicle and ovary induced by an LH surge

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19
Q

zygote

A

fertilized egg: will begin going under cell division in the fallopian tubes prior to implantation

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20
Q

blastocyst

A

develops from the zygote after 5 days of cell division; goal is to implant into the cell wall where it will develop into an embryo and support the uterus during a pregnancy

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21
Q

vaginal lavage

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A

developed by Stockyard and Papanicolaou–allows us to tell the stage of ovulatory cycle even when the ovary is internal

  • swab cells of the vaginal lumen after a lavage and examine the cells microscopically
  • reveals changes in cellular contents of vaginal lumen that occur every 4-5 days
22
Q

pap test

Study These Flashcards
A

developed by Papincolaou: cells from the cervix examined to screen for cervical cancer

23
Q

relationship between ovarian cycles, vaginal cytology, hormones, and behavior

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A

cyclic changes in ovarian cycles and structure correspond with vaginal cytology, hormone levels, and behavior
-behaviors that correspond with vaginal and ovarian cytology are influence by ovarian steroids (ie estrogens and progesterone)

24
Q

vaginal estrus

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A
  • post ovulation
  • cornified epithelial cells
  • recently ruptured follicle, corpus leutum
  • no reproductive behavior
25
diestrus 1/metestrus
- follicular development of primary follicle - majority leukocytes - no reproductive behavior
26
diestrus 2
- follicular development of secondary follicle | - no reproductive behavior
27
vaginal proestrus= behavioral estrus
- pre-ovulation: Graafian follicle - reproductive behavior: lordosis! - induced by estrogens (mediated by LH/FSH) and progesterone (Graafian follicle)
28
2 cell theory: LH, FSH, thecal and granulosa cells
LH: induces formation of androstenedione from cholesterol in thecal cells FSH: induction of aromatase system--> converts androstenedione produced in thecal cells--> estrogens
29
Positive Feedback: pre-ovulation
Estrogen: secreted from granulosa cells; feedback on AP and hypo (specifically AVPV)--> increase GnRH and LH/FSH release Activin: secreted from granulosa cells: feedback on hypo to increase FSH secretion
30
Negative feedback: post-ovulation
Estrogen: high concentrations of estrogen feedback on AP and hypo (specifically, ARC nucleus) to decrease GnRH and LH/FSH Progesterone: released from CL; feedback on hypo and AP inhibin: released from granulosa cells; feedback on hypo to decrease FSH
31
AVPV and positive feedback
estrogen receptors located on the AVPV and synapse onto GnRH receptors located in the hypothalamus--stimulation of AVPV receptors by E releases kisspeptin--> terminates on hypo and leads to GnRH release--> LH/FSH release in AP--> E/P release in ovaries
32
ARC nucleus and negative feedback
estrogen receptors located on ARC nucleus inhibited by estradiol which is exerting a negative feedback--> inhibition of kisspeptin--> inhibition of GnRH release--> inhibition of LH/FSH release
33
pseudopregnancy
do NOT happen in humans (humans have a spontaneous corpus leutum phase); happens in species who have induced luteal phases - time when there is a corpus leutum and buildup of the uterine lining in the absence of pregnancy - uterus ready for the blastocyst, but no ovum
34
type 1 reproductive cycle
spontaneous ovulation spontaneous CL/pseudopregnancy 2-5 weeks; 5> ex: humans, guinea pigs, apes
35
type 2 reproductive cycle
induced ovulation spontaneous CL length: 3-5 weeks (ex: cats)
36
type 3 reproductive cycle
spontaneous ovulation induced CL length: <1 week ex: rats
37
attractivity
stimulus value of a female, how attractive a female is to a male conspecific - extent to which a male prefers one female over another female - hypothetical, has to be inferred by the researcher
38
ways to measure attractivity in different species
- rhesus monkey: mounts/min= mounting ratio - rats: tethering and 3 chamber preference test - horse: Flehman response - baboon: male acceptance ratio--# of female solicitations/male mounting
39
attractivity and hormones
estrogens increase attractivity - morphological changes associated with ovulation: ex--baboon swelling of the perineum - chemosensory cues: chemical cues are important in establishing stimulus bases of attractivity (ex: garter snakes, horses) - behavior
40
perceptivity
extent to which a female initiates copulation; behaviors that initiate copulation= FLIRTING - reflect a female's overt behavior and motivational state - ex: rats: hopping, darting, ear wiggling - ex: rhesus monkey: number of solicitations - ex: rhesus monkey: bar pressing
41
receptivity
RESPONSIVENESS to sexual initiation, reflected by the adoption/reaction necessary for a fertile copulation, reflected by species-specific sexual position -reflection of the stimulus value of the female for eliciting intravaginal ejaculations - ex: # of ejaculations, or ejaculation time in rhesus monkeys - ex: rats: lordosis quotient= # of successful lordosis/10 mounts - ex: hamsters: amount of time spent in lordosis
42
role of estrogen and progesterone in lordosis: rats
estrogen and progesterone needed for the full expression of proceptive and receptive behaviors - OVX+ E (no P)--> weak receptive, no preceptive - OVX+E+P--> full receptive and proceptive
43
relationship between E, P, gene transcription
estrogen given to rats 48 hrs prior to testing because E acts as a transcription and translation factor for progesterone receptors (so by giving estrogen, you are also creating progesterone receptors)--> so in an OVX F, progesterone need not be given until 5 hrs prior to testing
44
VMN and estrogen
- estrogen acts on the VMN to stimulate lordosis behavior - example of how hormones act of the CNS to influence reproductive behavior - study 1: bilateral injections of estrogen into progesterone-treated, OVX rat--> full lordosis behavior - study 2: OVX+E+P+anti-E--> no lordosis behavior
45
estrogens mechanism of action on the CNS
receptors, enzymes, transporters, ion channels, NT systems--> impact the female rat's neural responsiveness to male stimulation--> increased electrical activity and action potential--> lordosis
46
acetylcholine and lordosis
- muscarinic receptors - OVX+E+acetylcholine--> lordosis - OVX+E+acetylcholine antagonist--> decreased lordosis
47
lordosis neural mechanisms of action
- E acts on the flanks during estrus to increase their size, increasing F sensitivity to male tactile stimulation - flanks stimulated by male - sensory input will make its way to the spinal cord and midbrain central gray - estradiol is acting on the VMN to stimulate lordosis behavior--when estradiol concentrations are high, it will activate the spinal motor neurons necessary to innervate the back muscles - information travels down a descending pathway of the spinal cord, where it makes its way to synapses of motor neurons that connect to deep back muscles - lordosis behavior
48
pacing
rewarding to female rats because it enhances the likelihood of getting pregnant -female controls the duration of interval time between sexual interactions; timing depends on KIND of sex interaction (mounting--> intromission--> ejaculation)--> reveals females can discriminate vaginal stimulation
49
vaginal code
optimal pattern of stimulation to produce offspring
50
paced mating, prolactin, and progesterone
pacing behavior--> release of prolactin--> maintenance of corpus leutum--> release of progesterone--> maintenance of uterine lining--> pregnancy maintenance and increased likelihood of maintaining a pregnancy if there's a successful fertilization

Behavioral Endocrinology (12 decks)

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