PSY 085 Study Guide - Final Guide: Secondary Sex Characteristic, Vaginal Lubrication, Vas Deferens

• School: Hofstra University
• Department: Psychology (PSY)
• Course: PSY 085
• Professor: Merry Mc Vey- Noble

Document Summary

Hormones: chemical messengers secreted by the endocrine glands. Cause tissue changes in specific areas on males and. Aimed at the reproductive organs and are responsible for causing secondary sexual characteristics. All sex h"s exist in both sexes, just in different concentrations. Aimed at reproductive organs and secondary sexual characteristics. The 2 most important times for h-monal release are: In utero: brain organization, sexual differentiation: 6-12 weeks gestational age, sexual differentiation occurs in both males and females, previous to that, fetuses are undifferentiated and have equipotential, at puberty: activation of gonads and secondary sexual characteristic development. In both genders is the principal determinant of sex drive. Males make 95% of testosterone in testes, 5% in adrenals. Females make a small percentage in ovaries, and most in the adrenals. Allows for tissue elasticity (breasts, skin, vaginal walls) Progesterone: structurally related to both estrogen and testosterone. Acts as a sexual inhibitor (particularly in males)