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Psych 36: Biopsychology

Love & Sex

Sexual Development & Abnormalities
Sexual Dimorphism of the Brain
Sexual Behavior
Sexual Orientation
Romantic Love

Sex Determination
Genotypic sex:
the result of the

combination of the
mothers X
chromosome pairing
with either an X or Y
chromosome from the
father.

XX Female
XY Male

chromosome

chromosome

Sex Chromosome Abnormalities

Turners Syndrome (X0)
Females - only a single X

chromosome instead of XX
or XY

Person appears fairly

normal physically, other

than a very short stature but
often has fertility, growth,
cognitive difficulties and
health problems

Sex Chromosome Abnormalities

Klinefelters Syndrome (XXY)

Males reduced fertility, require

hormone treatment for development,
may experience cognitive difficulties
and lower verbal skills

XYY genotype

Males with and extra Y chromosome

normal physical appearance slightly taller and leaner than
average, may experience greater
acne, minor physical difficulties

Once thought to be super male

Sexual Development:
Organizing and Activating Effects
Organizing effects
(Prenatal)

Activating effects
(At Puberty)

Hormonal surges trigger both types of

sexual development

Sexual Development:
Development of the Gonads
Fetuses are equipotential at first
Gonads are undifferentiated at first, then at~ 6

weeks:

If XY, SRY gene from Y starts the development of

testes; testes produce androgens (testosterone) &

other hormones that defeminize the fetus and
masculinize the external genitalia

If XX, gonads develop into ovaries (in the absence of

testosterone) and female external genitalia develop

Differentiation of Internal Sex

Organs for Males and Females

Developmental Abnormalities: AIS

Androgen Insensitivity

Syndrome (AIS)

XY males - lack androgen receptors

Testes secrete testosterone, but no

masculinization of genitals or the
brain due to the inability to make use
of androgens

Developmental Abnormalities: CAH

Congenital Adrenal Hyperplasia (CAH)
genetic defect - affects both males and females - causes
the adrenal glands to produce large amounts of androgen
prenatally
In females - external genitalia are ambiguous (enlarged
clitoris and fused labia)
If parents choose to raise a female child as female, surgery
can reduce the size of the clitoris and eliminate labial
fusion
If masculinization is pronounced, the child can be raised
as male with reconstructive surgery

Organizing Effects: the Brain

Prenatal sexual development also occurs in the brain
In males (XY)
During a critical prenatal period, androgens produced by the
testes enter specific neurons in the brain, where they are converted
to estradiol which defeminizes the male brain

In females (XX)
Development of the female brain also requires estradiol

Sexual Dimorphism of the Brain

The brain becomes sexually dimorphic as a result of the different

hormonal influence in the brain of males and females during this
critical period
Your Brain sex can be male or female, depending on the hormones
it is exposed to during the critical period
Brain differences between males and females are so distinctive
enough that a trained neuroscientist would be able to correctly
identify male vs. female

Sexual Dimorphism of the Brain

Sexual Dimorphism of the Brain:

Structure
Structural (size) differences include:
corpus callosum
frontal cortex
limbic structures
hippocampus
parietal cortex
amygdala

Neuron density in the temporal & frontal lobes

Greater density for females (language processing
& comprehension)

Sexual Dimorphism of the Brain:

Structure
Sexually dimorphic nucleus (SDN) in
rats of the Preoptic Area (SDN-POA)
Located in the MPOA of the
hypothalamus no sex differences at
birth
Size is determined by exposure to
testosterone during a critical period
5x larger in male rats
Male sexual activity is related to its
size
Size of the SDN is dependent on
exposure to testosterone.

SDN in male and female rats

Sexual Behavior & the Brain:

Males & Females
Preoptic area of the
hypothalamus (POA)
contains:
Interstitial Nuclei of the
Anterior Hypothalamus
(INAH)

Parts of the INAH are 2X

larger in males than
females similar to the
SDN-POA
Size may be correlated
with male sexual
orientation

Sexual Dimorphism of the Brain:

Function
Lateralization of Function
Emotional Face Recognition
Emotional Conflict
Memory, emotion, vision,

hearing, and response of the

brain to stress hormones

Females - language ability,

and understanding &

memory of emotions

Males - spatial processing

(spatial rotation, etc.)

Sexual Development:
Activating Effects

Activating effects (at puberty):

Dramatic physical changes for both sexes
Females: growth of breasts and egg release during the
menstrual cycle
Males: production of sperm, muscle development, and
hair growth

Both sexes: and a dramatic increase in sexual interest!

Activating effects can occur at any time in life; and
they are reversible.

Activating Effect Abnormalities

5-Alpha-Reductase Deficiency
XY males born with ambiguous

external genitals

caused by: inability to produce 5-

alpha-reductase, which converts

testosterone into the form needed to
develop external genitalia in the fetus

Usually raised as females (internal

male genitals are normally

developed).

At puberty, approximately 60% of

these individuals develop normal

external genitals and live as males.

Sexual Behavior
Sexual behavior is like hunger and thirst
arousal and satiation
hormonal control
specific areas of the brain (amygdala, hypothalamus)

However, sexual behavior also differs in important ways

No identified pattern of homeostatic tissue need.
Sex not required for survival
Sex required for species survival (for reproduction)

Sexual Behavior
Masters & Johnson (1960s):
Studied human sexual behavior & identified four
phases of sexual response:
Excitement phase
Plateau phase
Orgasm
Resolution

Phases of the Sexual Response Cycle

Sexual Behavior: The

Coolidge Effect
Males have a refractory period
following orgasm
Females refractory period unclear
from current research findings
The Coolidge effect Dopamine
Drugs that increase dopamine increase
sexual behavior in humans

Sexual Behavior & the Brain:

Males & Females
Both Males & Females:
Medial amygdala (in the temporal
lobe)
sexual behavior, emotions, aggression

Hypothalamus
Rats: increased activity during
copulation.
Important for females receptivity to
male advances
Important for regulating human
sexual behavior and reproductive
hormones, arousal, neurotransmitters
(including dopamine) and sexual
drive

Sexual Orientation
Homosexuality
Homosexual men are often referred to as gay
Homosexual women are often called lesbian
About 9% of men and 4% of women have engaged in same-sex activity
Same-sex experiences are fairly common; the term homosexual is usually reserved
for regular activity or continuing preference.

Bisexuality
Individuals who are neither exclusively homosexual or heterosexual

About 1% of the population claims to be asexual, with no interest in sex.

What is the Causeof Homosexuality?

Social Influence Hypothesis?
little support for the social influence hypothesis, which emphasizes home environment
or early seduction as causes of homosexuality

The Biological Hypothesis Sexual orientation determined at birth?

70% of homosexuals report remembering feeling different as early as 4 or 5 years of age.
Homosexuals show a high rate of gender nonconformity during childhood:
engaging in activities usually preferred by the other sex
preferring other-sex companions

Genetics?
Some support for this idea: Homosexuality is 2-7 times higher among the siblings of
homosexuals than in the population.

Epigenetics?
Environmental influences on the expression of genes

What is the Causeof Homosexuality?

Overandrogenization
(aka The Older Brother Effect)

Hypothesis: males with older brothers are

exposed to excess androgens in utero
Why? A pregnant woman mounts an
immune antibody response when she has
a male fetus in utero
A recent study - the odds of male
homosexuality increases by 1/3 for every
older brother one has

What is the Causeof

Homosexuality? Hormones?
Differences in hormone levels?
Male homosexuals do not differ from heterosexuals in general testosterone
levels as adults

Hormonal influences probably occur prenatally

Changes in prenatal androgen levels significantly associated with adult
homosexuality
Rats: exposure to androgens for females & castration of males (deprivation of
androgens) during the critical period of development brain structural
changes & same-sex sexual behavior.
Sexual orientation may be determined during the critical period for brain sexual
development which in humans in prenatal
Suggesting sexual orientation is determined before birth

Sexual Dimorphism of the Brain:

Structure
Sexually dimorphic nucleus (SDN) in
rats of the Preoptic Area (SDN-POA)
Located in the MPOA of the
hypothalamus no sex differences at
birth
Size is determined by exposure to
testosterone during a critical period
5x larger in male rats
Male sexual activity is related to its
size
Size of the SDN is dependent on
exposure to testosterone.

SDN in male and female rats

What is the Causeof

Homosexuality: Brain Structures?
Does the size of brain structures influence homosexuality?
A part of the INAH (INAH3 - third interstitial nucleus of the anterior hypothalamus) was
found to be female-sized (smaller) in gay men.

INAH3

Heterosexual

Homosexual

What is the Causeof

Homosexuality: Brain Structures?
Homosexual Women
CAH females exposed to excess androgens prenatally are more likely to
have a lesbian or bisexual orientation
Lesbians similar to males in two characteristics associated with prenatal
androgen exposure:
Index-to-ring finger ratio
Reponses of click-evoked otoacoustic emissions.

Findings are consistent with the idea that the brains of homosexual
females have been structurally masculinized prenatally

Sexual Attraction:

The Role of Odors in Sexual Behavior...

Odors play a role in
recognition and sexual
attraction.
Humans 500-700 receptor
genes
can distinguish about 10,000
odors

Major Histocompatibility
Complex (MHC)
You smell so sexy...
Women prefer the odors of men who differ
from them in the MHC - genes involved in
immune functioning
MHC is determined by a cluster of genes
on chromosome 6 of the human genotype
MHC appears to influence mate choice,
fertility and satisfaction.
Couples more similar in MHC are less fertile
Less similar in MHC - greater sexual
satisfaction.

That Sexy Scent:

Pheromones
Airborne chemicals released by organisms
Have physiological or behavioral effects on those of the same species
Detected by the VNO (vomeronasal organ) - a cluster of receptors
located in the nasal cavity
VNO projects to POA in the hypothalamus and the amygdala

Pheromones & the VNO

Is the VNO functioning in

humans?
Human VNO is greatly
diminished in size.
VNO genes may be
nonfunctioning
Do we even have one?

That Sexy Scent:

Pheromones & the VNO

Pheromonal influence on
humans:
Menstrual synchrony in
women housed in dorms
(Wellesley Effect)
Increased sexual activity
when wearing perfume or
cologne containing presumed
pheromones.

That Sexy Scent:

The Role of Pheromones in Human Sexual Behavior...

Higher preference ratings
by men of the odor of sweat
from women at mid-cycle
(ovulating and most likely
to conceive)
Lap dancer study (Miller, et
al, 2007)
Human sexual attraction
and interest appears to be
strongly influenced by
pheromones

What is Love?
What causes one to fall in

love?

Arun study - participants found

a complete stranger, revealed
intimate details about themselves
to each other for an hour and a
half, and then stared deeply into
each others eyes without talking
for four minutes
many couples felt deeply
attracted after this short
experiment and two couples
even got married.

What is the basis for falling in love?

Evolutionary ?

preference for those individuals who are

drawn to intimate relationships and who
experience strong pleasurable feelings when
partnered in a sexual relationship

Greater likelihood of producing offspring,

staying partnered to ensure offspring
survival and reproduction

Pain of a broken heart or ended relationship

individuals more susceptible to these
feelings are more likely to stay connected to
ensure offspring survival

What is the basis for falling in love?

Neurochemical?
a result of pheromones, hormones and neurotransmitters?
Kissing (Kirshenbaum , 2012)

a passionate kiss acts like a drug,

causing us to crave the other person
thanks to a neurotransmitter called
dopamine (the same substance
involved in taking illegal substances
like cocaine

Can lead to feelings of intense desire

and euphoria

May transfer testosterone through the

saliva (the hormone governing sexual
desire in both males & females)
increasing libido

Kissing may also be a way of assessing

anothers MHC by taste

What is Love?
Romantic Love (Fisher, 2004)

a drive that has evolved to endure

the procreation of the human
species, is based in neurochemical
processes

Experience of true love has been

associated with greater brain
activity in parts of the brain
associated with reward & pleasure

Three Stages of Love

Fishers 3 stages of love:
Lust
Testosterone & estrogen
Driven by need for sexual
gratification
Attraction

Adrenaline, cortisol, dopamine,

serotonin
Produces extremely pleasurable
(even euphoric) feelings
Intense romantic love is developed
in this stage

Attachment
Oxytocin & vasopressin
Calmness and stability

Your Brain on Love

Long Term Love

Fisher
some support for the different systems and brain

structures involved in the attraction and

attachment stages

The MRI research indicates these stages do not

necessarily work linearly, may be activated

throughout lifelong romantic relationships

Your Brain on Love