Hormones

Question 1

Define hormone.

Answer 1

• Chemicals released by specific
  glands in the body to regulate medium- and longterm changes in the body
• Secreted by glands, as part of the endocrine system
• Does not affect behaviour directly, increases the likelihood of behaviour, will occur as a response to particular environments
• Can only influence target cells and may activate or supress genes

Question 2

Define the endocrine system.

Answer 2

A collection of glands which produce hormones & release them into the bloodstream

Question 3

What is cortisol?

Answer 3

• Stimulates amygdala, impairs hippocampus
• Hippocampus converts STM to LTM
• Glucocorticoid receptors in hippocampal neurons, change the cell membrane, leading to overstimulation and reducing the neuron’s ability to resist insult
• Increases cell’s vulnerability to cell loss or death

Question 4

How does cortisol impact memory and why?

Answer 4

Minimal cortisol does not have an effect, however long term secretion impairs memory and damages immune system.

As cortisol is in response to stress, it disables any function not deemed essential, in order to remain alive. As memory is not essential to life, it is turned off, so prolonged secretion leads to memory impairment.

Question 5

Outline strengths of hormones.

Answer 5

• Due to its molecular constructs,hormones are extremely effective – only a small amount is required to cause a large effect in the cells. (Can link to ethics, how the injection of hormones may lead to an imbalance)
• Hormones begin to produce abundantly to an ‘adult’ level at 7-13 in girls and 9-15 in males. (Therefore, samples in the study should be above this age range)
  The process of hormones production reduced as an effect of aging. For example,an endocrine tissue may produce less of its hormone than it did at a younger age, or it may produce the same amount at a slower rate

Question 6

Outline limitations of hormones.

Answer 6

• Imbalances of hormones occurs when there are too little or too many flowing in the blood stream. Can lead to acne, weight gain, hair loss. Symptoms differ between males and females
• Being exposed to hormones to high levels or long times have been seen to increase the risk of developing cancers. For example,women have a higher risk of developing breast cancer if there is an overproduction of hormones from the ovaries (this means that the functions and development of hormones is dependent-heavy on gender)
• Reductionist to attribute human behaviours to a single hormone
• Hormones are often measured indirectly
• Difficult to measure hormones in a naturalistic setting
• When not experimental correlations may be based on assumptions