Hormonal and Genetic Effects on Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity

Flashcards about hormonal and genetic effects on sexual orientation and gender identity.

What are Activation of Hormonal Effects?

Immediate, temporary effects from hormones in the bloodstream, lasting while the hormone is active.

What are Organisational Effects?

Permanent changes to brain/body structure from hormone exposure during key developmental periods (e.g., puberty, embryonic).

How are Testosterone and Sexual Motivation connected?

Testosterone correlates with sexual motivation in both sexes; higher levels increase sexual interest.

Does the Menstrual Cycle influence Sexual Orientation?

The menstrual cycle doesn't alter sexual orientation, as temporary hormonal changes have no impact.

What are some Early Development Testosterone influences?

During weeks 8-24 of pregnancy and shortly after birth, males experience higher testosterone levels, potentially impacting brain differentiation and male characteristic development.

What are some difficulties in Prenatal Hormone Measurement?

Risks to pregnancy and ethical concerns make measuring prenatal hormones difficult.

How are Cognitive Performance and Sexual Orientation related?

Hormones influence cognitive performance. Higher androgen exposure improves verbal abilities but lowers visual-spatial performance.

What is the 2D:4D Ratio?

The 2D:4D ratio compares index to ring finger length, influenced by prenatal testosterone levels. Lower ratios often indicate higher testosterone exposure.

What are Autoacoustic Emissions?

Autoacoustic emissions are inner ear clicks in response to sound, stronger in females, and linked to lower developmental testosterone.

How is AIS linked to sexual orientation?

Individuals are genetically male but do not respond to testosterone- tend to be gynophilic, suggesting that the lack of response to testosterone may influence sexual preference.

How does CAH affect sexual orientation?

Genetically female but exposed to high levels of testosterone during embryonic development- higher proportion of these individuals identify as gynophilic, suggesting that early testosterone exposure influences sexual orientation.

How do Twin Studies relate to Sexual Orientation?

Twin studies show that concordance for sexual orientation is higher in monozygotic (identical) twins than in dizygotic (fraternal) twins. This indicates a genetic component to sexual orientation, as identical twins share more genetic material.

How does Genetic Mapping of Sexual Orientation work?

Genetic mapping links a region on the X chromosome to androphilic sexual orientation in males, aiming to identify specific related genes.

What is Kin Selection?

Kin selection: Genes influencing sexual orientation persist if individuals aid relatives, promoting gene survival indirectly.

What is Heterozygote Advantage?

Heterozygote advantage: Genes causing homosexuality may persist if they offer benefits (e.g., fertility) in a heterozygous state, maintaining these genes in the population.

What is the Fraternal Birth Order Effect?

The odds of a boy being androphilic increase with the number of older brothers he has from the same mother.

How does Maternal Immune Response influence sexual orientation?

Maternal immune response to Y-linked protein impacts brain development in later sons, potentially affecting sexual orientation.

What is Gender Dysphoria?

Distress from mismatch between gender identity and assigned sex, involving discomfort with physical sex characteristics or gender role.

What are Genetic Predispositions in Gender Identity?

Specific gene alleles (e.g., estrogen and androgen receptors) correlate with gender dysphoria, potentially affecting brain development and gender identity.

What Brain Differences exist in Transgender Individuals?

Transgender individuals' brain volumes align with their gender identity, not chromosomal sex; trans women show feminine patterns, trans men show masculine features.