Exam 12: Sex: Evolutionary, Hormonal, and Neural Bases

The sexually dimorphic HVC and RA nuclei in zebra finches have been shown to be involved in

In which of the following groups of animals is oviparity never observed?

The restoration of sexual function in a castrated male treated with testosterone demonstrates the _______ effect of hormones.

After estrogen treatment, increases in the size of _______ may be observed in the VMH of female rats.

Write a coherent and informative paragraph incorporating each of the following terms or concepts: estrogen; VMH; periaqueductal gray; medullary reticular formation; spinal cord; dendrites

The external genitalia of a human female with an XX genotype can have a masculine form at birth as a result of overproduction of androgens by the fetal

Describe the genetic differences and effects on development in Turner's syndrome.

Male mice have been studied to see how an individual's brain responds when an intruder is introduced into his cage. Neurons that respond to male vs. female intruders can be found in the

Which of the following statements about external genitalia is true?

A female zebra finch treated with _______ shortly after hatching and with ______ in adulthood will sing a male-like song.

Discuss, with examples, the advantages of viviparity and internal fertilization over oviparity and external fertilization.

Survey two of the best-known models of structural sexual dimorphisms of the mammalian nervous system, briefly discuss the possible role of social influences on these models, and consider the effects of hormones and environmental factors with regard to possible dimorphisms of the human brain and behavior.

Which of the following will show a great deal of lordosis?

Choose a species and describe the behavioral array of female-male interactions including attractive, appetitive/proceptive, copulative and post-copulative reproductive stages.

In the circuit mediating lordosis behavior in female rats, the VMH sends axons to the _______ region of the midbrain. Lesions in this region reduce lordosis.

In order for sexual behavior to occur normally in female rats, _______ receptors must be activated in order to increase the production of proteins necessary for lordosis.

In humans, the only behavior restricted to one sex is

Among humans, the only behavior that is displayed exclusively by one sex is _______.

How has functional brain imaging shown us that there is conservation of the neural substrates underlying sexual behavior? What do these studies tell us about the relationship between sexual behavior and brain reward circuitry in humans?

Explain what is meant by the organizational and activational effects of hormones on reproductive behavior. Contrast and discuss the relationship between them with respect to overall reproductive purpose when they occur. What functional implications are there for aspects of this differentiation in females and males? Give two examples of activational reproductive results and their implication for behavior and/or psychological processes in males and females.