Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Experiment Videos

Hypothalamic imprinting by gonadal steroid hormones.

Roger A Gorski1

  • 1Department of Neurobiology, UCLA School of Medicine, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA.

Advances in Experimental Medicine and Biology
|February 11, 2003
PubMed
Summary

The mammalian brain is fundamentally female, requiring early hormone exposure for male development. Human brain sexual differentiation is hormone-dependent, influencing development and clinical care for infants with ambiguous genitalia.

Related Concept Videos

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

Sexual experience interacts with steroid exposure to shape the partner preferences of rats.

Hormones and behavior·2002
See all related articles

Area of Science:

  • Neuroendocrinology
  • Developmental Biology
  • Human Physiology

Background:

  • Decades of research indicate a fundamentally female baseline for mammalian brains.
  • Testicular hormones during critical developmental periods are essential for male brain differentiation.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To explore the role of hormones in human brain sexual differentiation.
  • To discuss the implications of brain sexual differentiation for clinical practice.

Main Methods:

  • Retrospective studies of "Experiments of Nature" due to ethical constraints.
  • Analysis of existing research on mammalian and human development.

Main Results:

  • Evidence suggests a significant role for hormones in human brain development.
  • Hormonal influences may lead to permanent changes in brain structure and function.

Conclusions:

  • The concept of sexual brain differentiation has profound clinical implications for sex assignment and infant care.
  • Ethical considerations limit direct experimentation, necessitating reliance on natural variations.

Related Experiment Videos