Sex and the Brain
Part 1:
• Review how the brain (hypothalamus) controls reproductive hormones and gamete maturation. GnRh release by hypothalamus causes the pituitary to secrete (LH & FSH), and what do those hormones do to hormone production and gamete maturation in testes and ovaries. (This is review of reproductive A&P)
• What are organizational changes? (be able to describe as short answer)
• Organizational changes that happen in primary sexual characteristics, in response to testosterone or estrogen between males and females (what you're born with). (know for short answer)
• Changes that happen due to puberty and surge of testosterone or estrogen between males and females. (This is review of Biology of Beauty lecture)
• Know the different parts of the cerebrum of the brain that perceive and interpret sexual stimuli: These would be a good short answer question.
> thoughts - prefrontal cortex
> touch - parietal cortex (sensory cortex for touch, vibration, heat, pain, pleasure)
> sight - occipital cortex
> sound - temporal cortex
> smell - temporal cortex
> taste - insula cortex .Know the taste aphrodisiacs covered:
> chocolate (what's in it, and how it affects brain)
> oysters (what's in it)
> spanish fly (what's in it, and what does it do to the body)

• For role of smell (and pheromones) in sexual stimuli know the following studies:
> study by Cutler on use of synthetic pheromones in aftershave and increase in some sexual behaviors.
> the MHC T-shirt test
> the bathroom stall study of androstenol by Gustavson.
> the Athena study by Cutler.
> the boar taint pheromone (androstenone) affect on women>
> the armpit sweat pheromone bremolanotide and its affect on men and women.
> McClintock effect of menstrual synchrony.(know for short answer)

• Know hormones that increases libido (testosterone & estrogen) and decrease libido (progesterone & cortisol)
• For limbic system, know the 4 F's and the
• What happens to the amygdala in women during real vs fake orgasm.

Part 2:
• Sexually dimorphic nucleus (SDN) of the hypothalamus differences (size and activity) between men & women. (know for short answer) Also, differences in SDN between gay and straight men (even though this has been controversial)
• Corpus callosum differences between men and women (know for short answer)
• General difference in brain size between men & women. (men 10% larger brain due to body size)
• Additonal differences in amygdala between men and women when asked to recall a firghtening movie. (know for short answer)
• Differences in visual focus for babies at 24 hrs old, eye contact for babies at 10 months old with testosterone exposure, and in verbal skills at 24 months with testosterone expsoure.

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