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Biological Psychology Exam #3 - Reproductive Behavior

Terms in this set (83)

What type of effects alter brain structure?
organizational
What type of effect is it when females initiate sexual activity around ovulation?
activational
What is the functionalist view for why women become more selective to more masculine traits during ovulation?
fittest genes are more likely to be passed one
What effect is it when males level of testosterone influences sperm production and sexual activity?
activational
What is a chemical released by one animal that affects behavior or (reproductive) physiology of another?
pheromone
What does conspecific mean?
animals of same species
Are pheromones conspecific or not conspecific?
conspecific
What is the slowing and eventual cessation of estrous cycle in groups of female animals housed together?
Lee-Boot Effect
What is when exposed to a male pheromone in animals urine, a cycle begins again and is synchronized?
Whitten Effect
Do pre-pubescent rats produce pheromones that can cause Whitten Effect?
no
What is the earlier onset of puberty seen in female animals that are housed with males?
Vandenbergh effect
Where is the pheromone present that causes the Vandenbergh effect?
male's urine
What is the termination of pregnancy caused by the odor of a pheromone in the urine of a male other than the one that impregnated the female?
Bruce effect
Why is the Bruce effect seen as evolutionarily advantageous?
new rate more fit; greater chance offspring surviving
What is a sensory organ that detects the presence of certain chemicals, especially when a liquid is actively sniffed; mediates the effects of some pheromones?
vomeronasal organ
Is the vomeronasal organ functional in humans?
no
What is a neural structure located behind the main olfactory bulb that receives information from the vomeronasal organ?
accessory olfactory bulb
What is the effect called when women who spend lots of time together have menstrual cycles in sync?
McClintock effect
Is the McClintock effect likely due to the olfactory system or vomeronasal organ?
olfactory system
According to the McClintock effect, when there are more males present, what does this do to women's cycles?
shortens them
Is the neural control of sexual behavior dimorphic?
yes
What plays a critical role in the spinal ejaculation generator?
group of neurons in lumbar region of spinal cord
What do the group of neurons that play a critical role in the spinal ejaculation generator project to?
parts of autonomic nervous system and parts of thalamus
What doe the parts of the thalamus project to in spinal ejaculation generator?
somatosensory cortex
In what gender do brain mechanisms have excitatory and inhibitory control of behavior?
males
What is the forebrain region critical for male sexual behavior?
medial preoptic area (MPA)
What area of the brain releases glutamate during mating in males?
medial preoptic area
What are responsible for male sexual behavior differences?
androgens
What is a particular nucleus in the MPA that is 3-7 times larger in males?
sexually dimorphic nucleus (SDN)
What is the size of the sexually dimorphic nucleus caused by?
androgens present during fetal period
Stimulation of what electrically elicits copulatory behavior in males?
medial preoptic area
In males, what do the primary and accessory olfactory systems send axons to during neural control of sexual behavior?
medial nucleus of amygdala
What does the medial nucleus project to in the neural control of male sexual behavior?
medial preoptic area
If there are lesions to medial amygdala in males, what will happen to sexual behavior in male rodents?
it will be abolished (unless female presents lordosis)
How does somatosensory information from genitals connect to the medial preoptic area?
central tegmental field (CTF)
What is the connection between MPA and spinal ejaculation generator?
periaqueductal gray matter
Where is the periaqueductal gray matter located?
region of the tegmentum (midbrain)
What is the connection between the MPA and spinal ejaculation generator (inhibitory)?
nucleus paragigantocellularis (nPGI)
What is the nucleus paragigantocellularis part of?
medulla
What inhibits spinal cord reflexes
nucleus paragigantocellularis
What do SSRIs do?
suppress ejaculation
Can males who experience suppressed ejaculation from SSRIs achieve an errection?
yes
Can males who experience suppressed ejaculation from SSRIs achieve an orgasm?
no
What is a characteristic of the inhibitory connections between the nucleus paragigantocellularis generator?
they are serotonergic
If females do not have what brain area, will they not have female sexual behaviors?
ventromedial nucleus of the hypothalamus (VMH)
What will lesions to the VMH in females do?
inhibit lordosis
What does estradoil do in VMH that causes procpetive behavior?
increases production of progesterone receptors
What protein activates VMH that is released during mating (females)?
Fos
What has connections from vomeronasal organ and genitals in females?
medial amygdala
What does the medial amygdala in females connect to?
ventromedial nucleus of hypothalamus
What is responsible for the mediation of pheromone effects and activates ventromedial nucleus of hypothalamus in females?
medial amygdala
If the connection of the ventromedial nucleus of hypothalamus to the periaqueductal gray matter is disrupted, what happens?
no female sexual behavior
If the connection of the ventromedial nucleus of hypothalamus to the periaqueductal gray matter is stimulated, what happens?
lordosis occurs
What is having intense relationships and then moving unto another one?
serial monogamy
What is having more than one partner at the same time?
polygamy
What type of vole is monogamous and exhibits paternal care?
prairie vole
What kind of vole is promiscuous and the male leaves after mating?
meadow vole
What pair bonding hormone is more important for females?
oxytocin
What pair bonding hormone is more important for males?
vasopressin
What type of vole has higher levels of a specific (V1a) vasopressin receptor in ventral forebrain?
prairie voles
What hormone does mating stimulate the release of?
oxytocin
What may lead to decreased social motivation for those with autism?
blocking oxytocin
Is sexual orientation related to nurture?
no
What type of effects is sexual orientation caused by?
organizational
Is sexual orientation related to sex hormone levels in adulthood?
no
What is sexual orientation influenced by?
prenatal exposure to androgens
What is it called when the adrenal gland secretes abnormal amounts of androgens (begins prenatally)?
congenital adrenal hyperplasia (CAH)
What does abnormally high levels of androgen secretion in Congenital Adrenal Hyperplasia lead to?
prenatal masculnization
Do boys who have Congenital Adrenal Hyperplasia develop normally?
yes
What could girls have who have Congenital Adrenal Hyperplasia?
genital fusing
Does Congenital Adrenal Hyperplasia decrease or increase the likelihood of females reporting homosexual or bisexual orientation?
congenital adrenal hyperplasia
Who are people typically attracted to when they have androgen insensitivity syndrome?
males
What causes androgen insensitivity syndrome?
lack of functioning androgen receptors
What gender do those with Androgen insensitivity syndrome identify as?
female
What genotype do those with androgen insensitivity syndrome have?
XY
Are there increased reports of homosexual or bisexual orientation for those with Androgen insensitivity syndrome?
no
Is the male or female brain less lateralized with respect to processing?
female
Is the male or female brain on average slightly larger?
male
What areas of the brain have been found to be different between those who identify as having a hetero and homosexual orientation?
superchiasmatic nucleus and anterior commissure
Is there reason to believe that the superchiasmatic nucleus and anterior commissure are involved with sexual orientation?
no
What structures seem to be related to gender identity, not orientation?
bed nucleus of the stria terminalis and the uncinate nucleus
What is the uncinate nucleus the human version of?
medial preoptic nucleus
What sends axons to striae terminalis?
uncinate nucleus
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