Gender: Roles of Genes and Hormones

Question 1

Biological sex is determined by what?

Answer 1

Biological sex is determined by genes, which are on chromosomes.

Question 2

Humans have how many pairs of chromosomes?

Answer 2

Humans have 23 pairs of chromosomes.

Question 3

What chromosomes do men have?

Answer 3

Men possess XY chromosomes.

Question 4

What chromosomes do women have?

Answer 4

Women possess XX chromosomes.

Question 5

What does chromosomal sex control?

Answer 5

Chromosomal sex controls whether an embryo will develop ovaries or testes.

Question 6

What does the SRY gene do?

Answer 6

The SRY gene, also known as the Y chromosome, possessed only by males, will cause the gonad to develop into testes.

Question 7

How will a female develop ovaries?

Answer 7

A female’s gonad will develop into ovaries due to a lack or absence of the SRY gene.

Question 8

What do the external genitalia do?

Answer 8

External genitalia strongly influences gender development, through the effects of the hormones which they produce and due to psychological and social factors.

Question 9

Name a study that supports the idea that genes influence our Gender

Answer 9

Money and Ehrhardt

Question 10

What did Money and Earhardt find?

Answer 10

They claimed that the sex that the child is reared as, is more important than their chromosomal sex. They believed that inter-sex individuals could be successfully raised as either a girl or a boy, and that biological males could be raised as girls, and biological females as boys.

Question 11

Which study counters the claims Money and Earhardt made?

Answer 11

The Case study of David Reimer

Question 12

How does the case study of David Reimer counter the claims of Money and Earhardt

Answer 12

David Reimer was raised as a girl since the accident, and reverted to being a boy as soon as he found out his original Gene, which disproves the claim Money put forward and the notion that Genes directly influence somebody’s gender.

Question 13

What also affects gender development?

Answer 13

Hormones

Question 14

Name an Androgen and describe what it does in gender development

Answer 14

Androgens (male hormones) such as testosterone stimulate the development of male sex organs.

Question 15

Describe how Androgens can influence female development

Answer 15

Genetic females who are exposed prenatally to high levels of androgens may therefore develop ambiguous genitalia and the baby may appear externally to be male.

Question 16

Describe how Androgens can influence male development similarly to females

Answer 16

Genetic males with too little androgens may appear externally to be female - this condition i also known as AIS (Androgen Insensitivity Syndrome)

Question 17

Describe how Hormones have a powerful effect on the development of the brain

Answer 17

Hormones also have a powerful effect on the development of the brain. Females and males have different brains, with females generally being better at social skills such as empathising & males generally excelling at spacial skills. Testosterone is thought to make the brain more masculine, for example by stimulating development of the areas of the brain linked to spatial skills.

Question 18

Name Two Studies which support the role of Hormones in Gender Development

Answer 18

> Quadagno’s Monkey Study

> Hines and Kaufman

Question 19

What did Quadagno find?

Answer 19

Quadagno used female monkeys in her study, and injected them with testosterone. After observing their behaviour, Quadagno found that the monkeys displayed more “rough and tumble” behaviour. This supports the role of hormones in gender development, as it exhibits how testosterone led to the increase in more aggressive, male behaviour.

Question 20

What did Hines and Kaufman find?

Answer 20

They found that CAH (Congenital Andenal Hyperplasia) girls chose boys and girls equally as play mates. Normally 80-0% of the time choose girl play mates. This was despite feminising surgery and being raised as girls. Thus showing that hormones dictate your gender.

Question 21

Give two AID paragraphs for the Roles of Hormones and Genes

Answer 21

> Nature Nurture Debate

> Free Will and Determinism