Question 1

Regina and her partner were engaged in sexual intercourse, and as she reached the orgasm phase, she experienced intense pleasure and connection to her partner. What occurred in her brain that resulted in these experiences?

Accepted Answer

During orgasm, the brain releases oxytocin from the paraventricular nucleus (PVN), which is associated with pleasure and a sense of connection. This hormone plays a significant role in bonding and social behaviors.

Question 2

While researchers are able to study the brain areas involved in rodent sexual behavior by directly destroying or stimulating brain areas, the brain areas involved in human sexual behavior have been examined using ______.

Accepted Answer

Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (fMRI) is a non-invasive technique used to study brain activity, including areas involved in human sexual behavior, by measuring changes in blood flow.

Question 3

Social psychologists have observed in research studies that men in monogamous relationships rate pictures of models they have never met as significantly more attractive than their own mates. What neuroscientific phenomenon might contribute to men's ratings?

Accepted Answer

Dopamine increases in the nucleus accumbens are associated with the reward system and pleasure experiences in the brain. This neuroscientific phenomenon can contribute to men rating pictures of models they have never met as more attractive, as the novelty and visual appeal of these images can trigger dopamine release, enhancing the perceived attractiveness.

Question 4

Which of the following is true about the role of the autonomic nervous system in sexual behavior in males?

Accepted Answer

Stimulation of D1 receptors is associated with the activation of the parasympathetic nervous system, which is involved in increasing motivation and facilitating erection in males.

Question 5

When Will turned 40, he realized he couldn't remember things as well as he used to. He went for his annual checkup, and his doctor tested him for various memory disorders. Sadly, he was diagnosed with Parkinson's disease, a degenerative memory and movement disease, and was placed on L-DOPA therapy to help with his symptoms. To his surprise, he also noticed a(n) ______ in sexual activity as well.

Accepted Answer

L-DOPA therapy for Parkinson's disease can lead to an increase in sexual activity due to its effects on dopamine levels, which can influence libido and sexual function.

Question 6

Which theory seeks to explain both intimate and aggressive behaviors through levels of certain hormones in the body?

Accepted Answer

The steroid/peptide theory of social bonds explains both intimate and aggressive behaviors by examining the roles of hormones (steroids and peptides) in the body, suggesting that variations in these hormone levels can influence social bonding and aggression.

Question 7

LeSean has high levels of vasopressin and low levels of testosterone. When he has a romantic night with his wife, what would you expect him to do, based on the steroid/peptide theory of social bonds?

Accepted Answer

Vasopressin is associated with pair-bonding and social behaviors, leading to actions that strengthen relationships, such as kissing and giving flowers. Testosterone, conversely, is linked with aggression and sexual desire; lower levels might reduce aggressive or purely sexual responses.

Question 8

The evolution and later reliance on our ______ system has been suggested as the reason why humans use pheromones less than other mammals as sexual cues.

Accepted Answer

The evolution and reliance on our color vision system is suggested as a reason why humans use pheromones less than other mammals for sexual cues. This shift towards visual cues for mate selection is thought to have reduced the reliance on olfactory signals, which are more common in other mammals.

Question 9

Which of the following is true of the vomeronasal organ?

Accepted Answer

The vomeronasal organ (VNO) is thought to be vestigial and non-functional in humans, as it is in many other primates, although it is functional in some animals for detecting pheromones.

Question 10

When your dog "knows" that the poodle down the street is "in heat," pheromones processed by the vomeronasal organ send signals to the ______ to prompt his sexual interest.

Accepted Answer

The vomeronasal organ detects pheromones, and when a dog senses that a poodle is in heat, the signals are sent to the medial preoptic area of the brain, which is involved in the regulation of sexual behaviors.

Question 11

It is now popular for expecting parents to have "gender reveal" parties at which the color of the inside of a cake is blue or pink to match information that parents obtain from prenatal scans that either show the presence or absence of a penis. What would be a more accurate name for these parties?

Accepted Answer

These parties reveal the biological sex of the baby, typically based on physical anatomy observed in prenatal scans, rather than gender identity, gender roles, or sexual orientation.

Question 12

You are going to have a blind date with someone named Sam, and your friend says that Sam has testicles. Sam also feels feminine and prefers to have long hair and long, painted fingernails. What is true about Sam?

Accepted Answer

Sam's gender identity is that of a woman, as indicated by feeling feminine and preferring traditionally feminine traits like long hair and painted fingernails.

Question 13

What is reflected by the fact that baby girls are often given dolls and kitchen sets as toys, while baby boys are often given toy trucks and balls?

Accepted Answer

This reflects gender roles, which are societal norms dictating the types of behaviors that are generally considered acceptable, appropriate, or desirable for people based on their actual or perceived sex. Giving dolls and kitchen sets to girls and trucks and balls to boys reinforces traditional gender roles about caregiving and physical activity, respectively.

Question 14

Chuck and Diane have been trying to have a child since they got married three years ago but have been unsuccessful. Upon genetic testing, they learn that Chuck has a defective gene on his Y chromosome that is to blame, which prevents his testes from making sperm cells. Which relative gave him that gene?

Accepted Answer

The Y chromosome is inherited from the father, so Chuck would have received his Y chromosome, and any defects on it, directly from his dad.

Question 15

Charles, who is a male, is color-blind. As you will learn later in the book, this trait is due to a defective gene found on the X chromosome. Based on this, which parent gave him the defective gene?

Accepted Answer

Since color blindness is a trait linked to the X chromosome and males have one X chromosome from their mother and one Y chromosome from their father, Charles must have inherited the defective gene from his mother.

Question 16

Which of the following is part of the female internal genitalia?

Accepted Answer

The fallopian tubes are part of the female internal genitalia, responsible for transporting eggs from the ovaries to the uterus.

Question 17

Which of the following is part of the external genitalia?

Accepted Answer

The labia are part of the external genitalia, specifically in females, forming part of the vulva.

Question 18

Androgens are produced by the ______.

Accepted Answer

Androgens, which include testosterone, are primarily produced by the ovaries in females and the testes in males. They are also produced in smaller amounts by the adrenal glands in both sexes.

Question 19

In order for an XX fetus to develop a labia, clitoris, and vagina, the fetus must ______.

Accepted Answer

The development of female genitalia (labia, clitoris, and vagina) in an XX fetus occurs in the absence of the SRY gene protein. The SRY gene, located on the Y chromosome, is responsible for initiating the development of male physical characteristics. Without its influence, an XX fetus naturally develops female genitalia. Exposure to hormones like androgens, estrogens, or testosterone influences other aspects of sexual development but is not the primary determinant of the development of female genital structures mentioned.

Question 20

Which of the following is a result of an activating effect?

Accepted Answer

Activating effects refer to the influence of hormones that activate the function of various organs or systems at any point in life after these structures have developed. Beard growth in males is a result of the activating effects of androgens, such as testosterone, which stimulate the growth of facial hair during puberty and thereafter.

Quiz 7: The Biology of Sex and Gender