Sexology College 2 (Hardware and Software)

Question 1

hardware

Answer 1

sex organs: ovaries and testes
- largest sex organ: skin

Question 2

software

Answer 2

hormones and programming surrounding sexual decisions: estrogen and testosterone

Question 3

biological sex

Answer 3

determined as soon as sperm cell enters egg cell, and the sperm cell determines it
- but: no differentation yet for many weeks when it comes to sex organs

Question 4

zygote

Answer 4

first stage of human development; no differentiation in sex organs yet

Question 5

chromosomes

Answer 5

every cell (except red blood cells) has nucleus, which contains our chromosomes: 2 pairs of 23, of which 2 are sex chromosomes

Question 6

basal gonads

Answer 6

when the development of these start in zygotes, sexual differentiation takes place (8 weeks)

Question 7

how does sexual differentiation work in females?

Answer 7

XX: default programme is set in motion to turn gonads into ovaries

Question 8

how does sexual differentiation work in males?

Answer 8

XY: on the Y chromosome, there is something called SRY: Sex determining Region on the Y chromosome: default programme is set in motion to turn gonads into testes

Question 9

testosteron

Answer 9

released by testes: leads to further maturation internal and external male genitalia

Question 10

mullerian inhibiting hormone

Answer 10

released by testes: stops development of female internal reproductive tract

Question 11

mis of XX and XY

Answer 11

mix of these processes

Question 12

XXX

Answer 12

triple X syndrome (female sex with extra X): problems with fertility and development

Question 13

XXY

Answer 13

Klinefeltor syndrome (male sex with extra X): problems with fertility and health/development

Question 14

XO

Answer 14

Turner syndrome: problems with fertility and health; very small

Question 15

XYY

Answer 15

Jacobs syndrome (male sex with extra Y): no issues, very tall

Question 16

Donovan et al., 2024: essentialist view on sex and gender

Answer 16

3 basic assumptions:
1) little to no variation in traits/characteristics in sex/gender
2) differences between sexes/genders are discrete (little to no overlap)
3) internal factors (e.g. genes) explain variation within and between sex/gender groups

• this view is weird, biologically speaking, because there’s actually a lot of overlap

Question 17

Arnold & McCarthy, 2021: Sexual differentiation

Answer 17

gonads <8 weeks -> ovaries and testes
genital tubercles <8 weeks -> clitoris and gl. penis

Question 18

homologous structures

Answer 18

have a common evolutionary origin, but they may serve different functions
- clitoris and penis: arise from same tissues; have large overlap in functions
- NPT (nocturnal penile erection) and NCE (nocturnal clitoral engorgement)

Question 19

reflexogenic erection

Answer 19

because of touch

Question 20

psychogenic erection

Answer 20

because of thoughts

Question 21

why does lioness have sex with multiple males?

Answer 21

1: diversity
2: male doesn’t know whether or not it’s his cub, so he doesn’t kill it

Question 22

polygamy:

Answer 22

polyandry: female with multiple males
polygyny: male with multiple females

Question 23

analogous structures

Answer 23

serve similar functions, but the structures developed from different embryonic tissue/evolutionary pathways
- prostate gland and G spot

Question 24

Hull et al., 2022: Sex hormones (and Pheromones)

Answer 24

sex hormones often define sexual behavior
2 general ideas:
1: behavior change is usually result of a combination of hormones
2: timing
- in humans: very little correlation between amount of sex hormones and sexual behavior/desire

Question 25

differences hormones and pheromones

Answer 25

hormones = internal; communication to self pheromones = external; communcation to others (way less deterministic in humans)

Question 26

effects of estrogen

Answer 26

- learning ability and EF, verbal memory and fluency - mood regulation - sexual receptivity and arousal - fat distribution, breast development, bone density and structure, skin and connective tissue

Question 27

effects of testosterone

Answer 27

- spatial ability and memory - aggression, mood regulation - reward and motivation - arousal and sexual approach - muscle mass and strength, bone density and structure, fat distribution

Question 28

primary sex characteristics: XY

Answer 28

testes penis scrotum

Question 29

secondary sex characteristics: XY

Answer 29

facial and body hair deep voice increased muscle mass broad(er) shoulders growth spurt in puberty

Question 30

primary sex characteristics: XX

Answer 30

ovaries fallopian tubes uterus vagina vulva

Question 31

secondary sex characteristics: XX

Answer 31

breasts hips menstruation body hair fat distribution

Question 32

sex organs

Answer 32

reproductive organs; anatomical structures involved in reproduction - differ by biological sex

Question 33

Levin & Riley, 2007: How does it work?

Answer 33

recipe = passion + desire, the rest is physiology - non-specific sexual response and no perfect concordance between subjective and objective arousal in females - vasodilation = arteries and veins dilated; blood flows in - vasorestriction = the opposite

Question 34

viagra

Answer 34

only for men, doesn't exist for women effect proven in research, but viagra only works in cases of VASODILATION (stress, depression, metabolic syndrome, performance anxiety), NOT in case of hormonal imbalances of porn tolerance/desensitization

Question 35

Sexual Response Cycle (Masters & Johnson, 1996) (old model)

Answer 35

orgasm plateau excitement rises, stops for a bit at plateau, continues to orgasm; back to plateau, can go to orgasm again or back to resolution

Question 36

Sexual Response Cycle (Helen Singer Kaplan, 1974)

Answer 36

orgasm arousal desire desire -> straight line to excitement, plateau, and orgasm; straight line back to resolution

Question 37

terms of sexual response cycle

Answer 37

desire = psychology excitement = initial arousal (heart rate, blood flow); removed from most models plateau = > arousal orgasm = climax of arousal - vulva: contractions of pelvic muscles - penis: ejaculation resolution = return to normal

Question 38

phases of ejaculation

Answer 38

1) emission 2) expulsion

Question 38

1) emission

Answer 38

sympathetic nervous system: smooth muscles -> seminal vesicles - vas deferens: semen

Question 39

2) expulsion

Answer 39

sympathetic nervous system: compulsions of genital musculature