Reproductive & Sexual Behavior Lecture

A comprehensive set of flashcards based on lecture notes covering reproductive and sexual behavior, genetics, parental behavior, homeostasis, thirst, social behavior, and neurobiology.

Estrus

The period of sexual receptivity ('heat') in female mammals.

Anestrus

The period of reproductive inactivity in female mammals.

Vaginal Cytological Assay

A technique used to determine the stage of the estrous cycle.

Papanicolaou (Pap)

The scientist who developed the staining method for identifying reproductive stages.

Corpora Lutea

Endocrine structures formed in the ovary after ovulation that secrete progesterone.

Estrogen

A primary female gonadal steroid that coordinates reproductive physiology.

Progesterone

A primary female gonadal steroid that primes the brain for sexual behavior.

Luteinizing Hormone (LH)

A pituitary hormone that triggers ovulation.

Supplementation

Experimental administration of hormones to study their effects on sexual behaviors.

Lordosis

A reflexive physical posture displayed by female rodents to signal sexual receptivity.

Lordosis Quotient

A measure of female receptivity calculated from lordosis responses and male mounts.

Paracopulatory Behaviors

Proceptive behaviors performed by females to entice males to mate.

Progestative Behaviors

Specific female behaviors that maximize the likelihood of successful pregnancy.

Paced Mating

A behavior where the female controls the timing of sexual contacts.

Operant Tasks

Experimental setups measuring animal motivation to gain access to mates.

Conditioned Place Preference (CPP)

A test measuring the rewarding value of a stimulus based on time spent.

ERα and ERβ

Two types of nuclear receptors that mediate biological effects of estrogen.

Estrogen Response Elements (EREs)

Specific DNA sequences that estrogen-receptor complexes bind to.

ERKO and βERKO

Knockout mice engineered to lack Alpha or Beta estrogen receptor.

Standard Knockout Approach Challenges

Issues include developmental compensation and lack of tissue specificity.

PRKO

Progesterone Receptor Knockout mice to study progesterone signaling.

Parental Investment

Expenditure by a parent that benefits offspring at the cost of fitness.

Precocial vs. Altricial

Precocial offspring are mobile at birth; altricial offspring are helpless.

Broodiness

A state in birds ready to incubate eggs, often driven by prolactin.

Pup Induction/Sensitization

A process where non-maternal animals show maternal behaviors after exposure.

Parabiosis

A surgical technique joining two organisms to study circulating hormones.

Homeostasis

The process by which biological systems maintain a stable internal environment.

Claude Bernard

The 'father of modern physiology' who proposed the concept of the internal environment.

Set Point

The specific value that a physiological system actively maintains.

Thirst

A subjective psychological state that motivates an organism to seek water.

Types of Thirst

Hypovolemic thirst (low blood volume) and Osmometric thirst (high salt concentration).

Brattleboro Rats

A strain of rats that lack vasopressin, causing chronic dehydration.

ADH (Antidiuretic Hormone)

A hormone that signals kidneys to conserve water and stimulate thirst.

Osmoreceptors

Specialized neurons that detect osmotic pressure changes to trigger thirst.

Affiliation and Aggression

Opposing social behaviors; forming bonds versus engaging in conflict.

Mesolimbic Dopamine Pathway

The brain's reward pathway linked to pleasure, motivation, and social bonding.

John Wingfield

A prominent biologist known for the 'Challenge Hypothesis' regarding testosterone.