Hormones and Behaviour

Question 1

How do hormones affect behaviour?

Answer 1

• Biological rhythms
• Eating and drinking
• Reproductive behaviour
• Social behaviour
• Stress

Question 2

What is the effect Melatonin?

Answer 2

• Released exclusively at night
• Provides a signal to track day length and season
• Controls the timing of onset of sleep
• Controls breeding condition in seasonally breeding animals

Question 3

What can birds and reptiles do?

Answer 3

Directly through the skull

Question 4

How is light inputted in mammals?

Answer 4

Retino-hypothalamic pathway

Question 5

What are the features of ghrelin?

Answer 5

• Peptide secreted by cells in the stomach
• Stimulates feeding
• Stimulates release of growth hormone from pitutitary

Question 6

What are the levels of ghrelin like?

Answer 6

Rise prior to mealtimes and at night and drop following a meal

Question 7

How is ghrelin circulated in obese people?

Answer 7

Have lower ghrelin before eating but levels don’t drop after eating

Question 8

What is oxytocin?

Answer 8

A mammalian peptide hormone that acts on CNS

Question 9

What oxytocin associated with?

Answer 9

Uterine muscle contraction at birth and milk letdown

Question 10

What relationship is there between hormones and behaviour?

Answer 10

Reciprocal

Question 11

What was Zak’s study?

Answer 11

N= 68 men
- ‘One-shot’ economic game involving a voluntary donation
- One group given oxytocin vs control (nasal spray)
- Donations ~80% higher in O group

Question 12

What are the similarities between the endocrine system and the nervous system?

Answer 12

• Both are communication and control systems
• Both take inputs and effect outputs
• Both can be influenced by prior exposure

Question 13

What are the features of the endocrine system?

Answer 13

• Chemical substances
• Conveyed in blood
• Diffuse effect across body
• Slow response - persists over time
• No voluntary control

Question 14

What are the features of the nervous system?

Answer 14

• Action potential
• Transmitted along nerve fibre
• Targeted effect in specific cell or organ
• Fast response (short lived)
• Some voluntary control

Question 15

What are the features of the neuroendocrine system?

Answer 15

• Fast initial response
• Prolonged action if required
• Enables regulation and control of homeostasis (CNS, ANS, SNS and PSNS)
• Ensures that the appropriate response is given to a stimulus