Intro to Behavioral Endocrinology

behavioral endocrinology

study of interactions between hormones and behavavior

hormones

- long lasting chemical messengers released from endocrine glands throughout the body

- act on targets throughout development and across the lifespan

endocrine system glands

- secrete chemicals into the bloodstream in chemical form

- produce long-lasting responses over time

- influence metabolism and development

nervous system cells

- travel to target tissues via electrical current

- produce fast responses

- influence acute changes in body systems

hormone chemicals

- travel via the blood stream to targets

- affect other cells already present in the body and brain

- effects can be fast (adrenaline) or slow (steroids)

5 systems of endocrine communication

intracrine, autocrine, paracrine, endocrine, ectocrine

intracrine

within the cell

autocrine

with its own cell surface

paracrine

between cells

endocrine

with distance target cells

ectocrine

between animals,

ex. phermones

hormones and behavior?

hormones do NOT produce behavior directly but alter the probability and expression of behaviors in response to specific stimuli

- hormones can only influence things to be better or worse but not directly effect them

Deutsch's Model of Motivation,

how do hormones affect behavior?

an animal's motivation is regulated by a feedback loop from the environment, allowing it to monitor and adjust its behavior based on whether it has reached its goal

the animal's sensory system inputs signals to the brain when a goal is achieved, which then inhibits the motivational drive, and stopping the behavior