NBB 201 Lecture Notes - Lecture 20: Estrous Cycle, Amygdala, Ventromedial Nucleus Of The Hypothalamus
20 Nov 2017
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Document Summary
Proximate mechanisms supporting sexual behavior: sexual behavior in rats, lordosis posture, for sex to occur, female has to adopt a certain posture where she deflects her tail to one side and elevates her hind end. Male can sense pheromone, and if testosterone levels are high enough, then the medial amygdala is activated. If female rat is injected with testosterone perinatally (around birth), can have a larger. Sdn-poa: so if exposed to testosterone at early period in development, brain is reorganized so that sdn-poa gets larger. If she experienced increase in estrogen, she showed a stronger preference for high t face: when she had lower levels of estrogen, she was less attracted to the high. Intersexual: when individuals of one sex select for traits in other sex by way of mate choice. Intrasexual: when individuals of one sex select for traits within the sex by way of competition for mates.
