Psychology 2035A/B Lecture Notes - Lecture 5: Skipping Rope, X Chromosome, Pubic Hair

• School: Western University
• Department: Psychology
• Course: Psychology 2035A/B
• Professor: Doug Hazlewood

Document Summary

Part one: reproductive biology prenatal sexual differentiation: the genetic factor. If x sperm fertilizes egg: genetic female (xx) If y sperm fertilizes egg: genetic male (xy: the gonadal factor. >if present it: a) stimulates development of testes; b) inhibits development of ovaries. Problems: true hermaphrodites = genetic female (xx) with tiny piece of y chromosome attached (xxy). Big enough to stimulate development of testes but not big enough to inhibit development of ovaries (therefore both: the hormonal factor. If everything goes as planned, you are now a biological male or female (prenatal sexual differentiation is complete) But for the next decade you cannot reproduce: the puberty factor. Two important changes: development of secondary sex characteristics: pubic hair, growth spurt, girls. = breast development, boys = deeper voice, facial hair, larger penis: gonads (reproductive organs) mature: menstruation in girls (mature eggs are released from ovaries), first ejaculation in boys (production of mature sperm from testes)