Different Brains, Different Realities? Essay -- Biology Essays Researc

Different Brains, Different Realities? Most of us go through our days not questioning why separate aisles in toy stores are designated to boy-toys such as puzzles and blocks and girl-toys such as dolls and tea sets. We do not always consciously notice that men dominate certain professional fields while women do others. And why are there a higher percentage of gay men (or more "feminized" men) in the dramatic, passionate world of the performing arts? Are these sex trends all enculturation? If we do not stop to explore the origins and implications of our observations, we make the mistake of glossing over them with the non-informative, "fact-of-life" explanation that neglects the why of the issue. Perhaps one such "why" involves biological premises. The steroid hormones secreted by the gonads (mainly androgens in males and estrogens and progestins in females), for instance, are not restricted to the lower half of the body and are known to have divergent effects on the brains of the separate sexes. Although the male and female brain may appear identical structurally (except for the male's being about 10% larger) (1), morphological differences abound. The brain is organized by the presence or absence of androgens neonatally, long before it gets a chance to interact with its culture. In rodents, for instance, testosterone masculinizes the brain to prevent ovulatory capacity and establish male-typical behavior. This phenomenon is accomplished by aromatization, or the paradoxical conversion of testosterone to estrogen in the brain. Female rodents are protected from this estrogen-based masculinization by a protein in the blood called AFP. A small amount of estrogen does actually seep into the brain, however, and this might be resp... ... of stupidity or "weirdness." It is useful to recognize that we may, in essence, be experiencing different realities! As we learn to stop underestimating the power of a hormone, we can also learn more about ourselves, the opposite sex, and our interactions. And, just as we must sometimes "agree to disagree," perhaps we must also be willing to "understand to not understand." References 1)This paper reflects the research and thoughts of a student at the time the paper was written for a course at Bryn Mawr College. Like other materials on Serendip, it is not intended to be "authoritative" but rather to help others further develop their own explorations. Web links were active as of the time the paper was posted but are not updated. Contribute Thoughts | Search Serendip for Other Papers | Serendip Home Page http://serendip.brynmawr.edu/cgi-bin/comments Different Brains, Different Realities? Essay -- Biology Essays Researc Different Brains, Different Realities? Most of us go through our days not questioning why separate aisles in toy stores are designated to boy-toys such as puzzles and blocks and girl-toys such as dolls and tea sets. We do not always consciously notice that men dominate certain professional fields while women do others. And why are there a higher percentage of gay men (or more "feminized" men) in the dramatic, passionate world of the performing arts? Are these sex trends all enculturation? If we do not stop to explore the origins and implications of our observations, we make the mistake of glossing over them with the non-informative, "fact-of-life" explanation that neglects the why of the issue. Perhaps one such "why" involves biological premises. The steroid hormones secreted by the gonads (mainly androgens in males and estrogens and progestins in females), for instance, are not restricted to the lower half of the body and are known to have divergent effects on the brains of the separate sexes. Although the male and female brain may appear identical structurally (except for the male's being about 10% larger) (1), morphological differences abound. The brain is organized by the presence or absence of androgens neonatally, long before it gets a chance to interact with its culture. In rodents, for instance, testosterone masculinizes the brain to prevent ovulatory capacity and establish male-typical behavior. This phenomenon is accomplished by aromatization, or the paradoxical conversion of testosterone to estrogen in the brain. Female rodents are protected from this estrogen-based masculinization by a protein in the blood called AFP. A small amount of estrogen does actually seep into the brain, however, and this might be resp... ... of stupidity or "weirdness." It is useful to recognize that we may, in essence, be experiencing different realities! As we learn to stop underestimating the power of a hormone, we can also learn more about ourselves, the opposite sex, and our interactions. And, just as we must sometimes "agree to disagree," perhaps we must also be willing to "understand to not understand." References 1)This paper reflects the research and thoughts of a student at the time the paper was written for a course at Bryn Mawr College. Like other materials on Serendip, it is not intended to be "authoritative" but rather to help others further develop their own explorations. Web links were active as of the time the paper was posted but are not updated. Contribute Thoughts | Search Serendip for Other Papers | Serendip Home Page http://serendip.brynmawr.edu/cgi-bin/comments