Psychology 2075 Chapter Notes - Chapter 5: Epididymis, Paramesonephric Duct, Underarm Hair

• School: Western University
• Department: Psychology
• Course: Psychology 2075
• Professor: William Fisher

Document Summary

Psychology 2075 chapter 5: sex hormones, sexual differentiation, and menstruation. Many of the structural differences between males and females arise before birth, during the prenatal period. Prenatal period: the time from conception to birth. Hormones: chemical substances manufactured by the endocrine glands and secreted directly into the bloodstream. The most important sex hormones are testosterone (one of a group of androgens) and estrogens and progesterone. Androgens: the group of male sex hormones. Sex glands the testes in the male, the ovaries in the female. The hypothalamus regulates the pituitary which regulates the other glands. The pituitary and the testes both produce hormones. The important hormone produced by the testes is testosterone. Testosterone has important functions in stimulating and maintaining secondary sex characteristics, maintaining the genitals and their sperm-producing capability, and stimulating the growth of bone and muscle. The pituitary produces several hormones: follicle stimulating hormone (fsh) and luteinizing hormone (lh: fsh controls sperm production, and lh controls testosterone production.