PSYC 370 Chapter Notes - Chapter 13: Libido, Prenatal Development, Ventromedial Nucleus Of The Hypothalamus
9 May 2013
School
Department
Course
Professor
Document Summary
Hormones influence sex in two ways: influencing the development from conception to sexual maturity of the anatomical, physiological, and behavioural characteristics that distinguish one as female or male, by activating the reproduction-related behaviour of sexually mature adults. Hormones: chemicals released by the endocrine system directly into the circulatory system. The gonads: the male testes and the female ovaries. Sex chromosomes determine the sex of an individual. Vertebrate hormones are of three different classes: amino acid derivative hormones: hormones that are synthesized in a few steps from amino acids, peptide and protein hormones. Peptide hormones: hormones that are short chains of amino acids. Protein hormones: hormones that are long chains of amino acids: steroid hormones: hormones that are synthesized from cholesterol. Steroid hormones influence sexual development and the activation of adult sexual behaviour. Steroid hormones are small and fat-soluble and can readily penetrate cell membranes and often affect cells from the inside by influencing gene expression.
