Term
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Definition
| A protein found in the plasma of fetuses. In rodents, α-fetoprotein binds estrogens and prevents them from entering the brain. |
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Term
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Definition
| An enzyme that converts testosterone into dihydrotestosterone. |
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Term
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Definition
| A temporary change in behavior resulting from the administration of a hormone to an adult animal. |
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Term
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Definition
| One of two or more different forms of a gene or genetic locus. |
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Term
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Definition
| Referring to animals that are born in an undeveloped state and depend on maternal care, as human infants do. |
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Term
| androgen insensitivity syndrome (AIS) |
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Definition
| A syndrome caused by a mutation of the androgen receptor gene that renders tissues insensitive to androgenic hormones like testosterone. Affected XY individuals are phenotypic females, but they have internal testes and regressed internal genital structures. |
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Term
| anti-müllerian hormone (AMH) |
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Definition
| A protein hormone secreted by the fetal testis that inhibits anti-müllerian duct development. |
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Term
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Definition
| The second stage of mating behavior; helps establish or maintain sexual interaction. |
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Term
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Definition
| An enzyme that converts many androgens into estrogens. |
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Term
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Definition
| The chemical reaction that converts testosterone to estradiol, and other androgens to other estrogens. |
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Term
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Definition
| The hypothesis that testicular androgens enter the brain and are converted there into estrogens to masculinize the developing nervous system of some rodents. |
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Term
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Definition
| Removal of the gonads, usually the testes. |
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Term
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Definition
| A rare medical condition in which XY individuals are born completely lacking a penis. |
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Term
| congenital adrenal hyperplasia (CAH) |
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Definition
| Any of several genetic mutations that can result in exposure of a female fetus to adrenal androgens, which results in a clitoris that is larger than normal at birth. |
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Term
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Definition
| The propensity of an animal that has appeared sexually satiated with a present partner to resume sexual activity when provided with a novel partner. |
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Term
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Definition
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Term
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Definition
| Reproductive behavior in which the male’s penis swells after ejaculation so that the male and female are forced to remain joined for 5–15 minutes; occurs in dogs and some rodents, but not in humans. |
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Term
| dihydrotestosterone (DHT) |
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Definition
| The 5α-reduced metabolite of testosterone; a potent androgen that is principally responsible for the masculinization of the external genitalia in mammalian sexual differentiation. |
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Term
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Definition
| The forceful expulsion of semen from the penis. |
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Term
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Definition
| The period during which female animals are sexually receptive. |
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Term
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Definition
| The process by which eggs are fertilized outside of the female’s body, as in many fishes and amphibians. |
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Term
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Definition
| A sex cell (sperm or ovum) that contains only unpaired chromosomes and therefore has only half of the usual number of chromosomes. |
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Term
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Definition
| Literally, “eggs at 12” (in Spanish). A nickname for individuals who are raised as girls but at puberty change appearance and begin behaving as boys. |
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Term
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Definition
| The undifferentiated gonads of the early mammalian fetus, which will eventually develop into either testes or ovaries. |
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Term
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Definition
| The process by which sperm fertilize eggs inside of the female’s body, as in all mammals, birds, and reptiles. |
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Term
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Definition
| Referring to an individual with atypical genital development and sexual differentiation that generally resembles a form intermediate between typical male and typical female genitals. |
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Term
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Definition
| Insertion of the erect penis into the vagina during copulation. |
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Term
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Definition
| A female receptive posture in quadrupeds in which the hindquarters are raised and the tail is turned to one side, facilitating intromission by the male. |
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Term
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Definition
| A duct system in the embryo that will develop into female reproductive structures (fallopian tubes, uterus, and upper vagina) if testes are not present. |
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Term
| major histocompatibility complex (MHC) |
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Definition
| A large family of genes that identify an individual’s tissues (to aid in immune responses against foreign proteins). |
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Term
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Definition
| A portion of the amygdala that receives olfactory and pheromonal information. |
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Term
| medial preoptic area (mPOA) |
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Definition
| A region of the anterior hypothalamus implicated in the control of many behaviors, including thermoregulation, sexual behavior, and gonadotropin secretion. |
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Term
| medullary reticular formation |
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Definition
| The hindmost portion of the brainstem reticular formation, implicated in motor control and copulatory behavior. See |
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Term
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Definition
| An annual period of heightened aggressiveness and sexual activity in male elephants. |
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Term
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Definition
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Term
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Definition
| The human homolog of the spinal nucleus of the bulbocavernosus (SNB) in rats. |
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Term
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Definition
| A permanent alteration of the nervous system, and thus permanent change in behavior, resulting from the action of a steroid hormone on an animal early in its development. |
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Term
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Definition
| The climax of sexual experience, marked by extremely pleasurable sensations. |
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Term
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Definition
| The production and release of an egg (ovum). |
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Term
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Definition
| The periodic occurrence of ovulation. |
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Term
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Definition
| An egg, the female gamete. |
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Term
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Definition
| A durable and exclusive relationship between a male and a female. |
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Term
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Definition
| Referring to a surgical preparation that joins two animals to share a single blood supply. |
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Term
| paragigantocellular nucleus (PGN) |
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Definition
| A region of the brainstem reticular formation implicated in sleep and modulation of spinal reflexes. |
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Term
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Definition
| Behavior of adult animals with the goal of enhancing the well-being of their own offspring, often at some cost to the parents. |
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Term
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Definition
| The neuronal body–rich region of the midbrain surrounding the cerebral aqueduct that connects the third and fourth ventricles; involved in pain perception. |
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Term
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Definition
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Term
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Definition
| A chemical signal that is released outside the body of an animal and affects other members of the same species. |
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Term
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Definition
| The final stage in mating behavior. Species-specific _ include rolling (in the cat) and grooming (in the rat). |
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Term
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Definition
| Referring to animals that are born in a relatively developed state and that are able to survive without maternal care |
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Term
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Definition
| Referring to a state in which an animal advertises its readiness to mate through species-typical behaviors, such as ear wiggling in the female rat. |
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Term
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Definition
| A period following copulation during which an individual cannot recommence copulation. |
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Term
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Definition
| A tract of axons arising from the brainstem reticular formation and descending to the spinal cord to modulate movement. |
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Term
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Definition
| A mixture of fluid, including sperm, that is released during ejaculation. |
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Term
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Definition
| The period during development in which an organism can be permanently altered by a particular experience or treatment. |
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Term
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Definition
| The process by which the decision is made for a fetus to develop as a male or a female. In mammals this is under genetic control, but in some groups of animals, environmental variables like incubation temperature determine the sex of the offspring. |
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Term
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Definition
| The first step in the mating behavior of many animals, in which animals emit stimuli that attract members of the opposite sex. |
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Term
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Definition
| The process by which individuals develop either malelike or femalelike bodies and behavior. |
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Term
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Definition
| The condition in which males and females show pronounced sex differences in appearance. |
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Term
| sexually dimorphic nucleus of the preoptic area (SDN-POA) |
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Definition
| A region of the preoptic area that is five to six times larger in volume in male rats than in females. |
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Term
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Definition
| Referring to the state in which an individual (in mammals, typically the female) is willing to copulate. In many species, no sexual activity is possible other than during the period of sexual receptivity in the female, which generally corresponds to ovulation. |
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Term
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Definition
| The gamete produced by males for fertilization of eggs (ova). |
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Term
| spinal nucleus of the bulbocavernosus (SNB) |
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Definition
| A group of motoneurons in the spinal cord of rats that innervate striated muscles controlling the penis. |
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Term
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Definition
| A gene on the Y chromosome that directs the developing gonads to become testes. |
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Term
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Definition
| The vocal organ in birds. |
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Term
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Definition
| A condition seen in individuals carrying a single X chromosome but no other sex chromosome. |
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Term
| ventromedial hypothalamus (VMH) |
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Definition
| A hypothalamic region involved in eating and sexual behaviors. |
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Term
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Definition
| A collection of specialized receptor cells, near to but separate from the olfactory epithelium, that detect pheromones and send electrical signals to the accessory olfactory bulb in the brain. |
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Term
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Definition
| A duct system in the embryo that will develop into male structures (the epididymis, vas deferens, and seminal vesicles) if testes are present in the embryo. |
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