AN S 331 Lecture Notes - Lecture 6: Paraventricular Nucleus Of Hypothalamus, Posterior Pituitary, Oviduct
6 Mar 2017
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Document Summary
Consists of distinct clusters of nerve cell bodies known as [hypothalamic nuclei]-> don"t get confused. Responsible for synthesizing releasing (and inhibiting) hormones. One of oxytocin"s functions is to cause smooth muscle contractions. Smooth muscle contractions of uterus (and oviduct) Aid in gamete transport: regulation of cyclicity (some species) It is produced in the paraventricular nucleus but it does not stay there. Function : cause release of gonadotropic hormones from the anterior pituitary. Gondad - sex organs though - positive effect. Why is the female brain different than the male brain. Testosterone crosses blood brain barrier and is converted to estradiol. Blood barrier protects from delivering harmful substances to the brain. Question: if estradiol incapacitates the surge center in the male, why do females (who produce estradiol beginning in fetal life) have a function surge center. Answer: in females, estradiol in the blood is bound to alpha- fetal proteins.
