PSYCH 220 Lecture Notes - Lecture 10: Sexually Dimorphic Nucleus, Alpha-Fetoprotein, Estrous Cycle
Document Summary
Genetic and hormonal mechanisms in the development of masculine and feminine. Studying sexual differentiation in animal models: a(cid:374)i(cid:373)als are(cid:374)"t so(cid:272)ialized, so (cid:449)e (cid:272)a(cid:374) eli(cid:373)i(cid:374)ate that fa(cid:272)tor (cid:449)he(cid:374) stud(cid:455)i(cid:374)g behaviors that parallel human behaviors. Ex: male monkey rough and tumble play does not come from cultural influence. Sampling amniotic fluids for hormone concentrations and correlating it with later behaviors. Looking for universal commonalities in behavior of all children: try to remove cultural influences by observing at a young enough age. Sexual dimorphism pronounced differences between males and females: behavior and brain. In rats, a nucleus in the preoptic area of the hypothalamus is larger in males than in females. Lesions in the sexually dimorphic nucleus of the poa (sdn-poa) disrupt ovulatory and copulatory behaviors. Organization of the sdn-poa: sensitive period right before birth, spike at next increase of testosterone. If testosterone is administered to a female sdn-poa during the sensitive period, then again as an adult, it will have an effect.
