Critical Review: His Brain, Her Brain
1 Critical Review No. 2: His Brain, Her Brain
Abstract
As Larry Cahill 's article “His Brain, Her Brain”, points out there has been data showing a vast “...array of structural, chemical and functional variations” between the sexes; but does size matter? Lawrence Summers, former President of Harvard, thought so. Men 's brains are 13% larger than women 's brains, but does that really make them more advanced in math, physics and science? There are other anatomical variations and some of these are found to influence the way male and female brains work. Scientists have spent decades studying the brain and trying to answer questions regarding brain function. Trying to answer what actions are nature or nurture. Why do men and women act so …show more content…
Alexander of Texas A & M University used our “cousins” the vervet monkeys. They conducted a study testing if the selection of gender based toys were chosen by culture influence or was it innate biology. The vervet monkeys were used because they are less likely to be swayed by the effects of human culture, giving us a better factual data to this nature or nurture study. They were given a selection of gender specific (boy/girl) and gender-neutral toys to play with. Male monkeys chose gender specific toys for boys and the female monkeys chose gender specific toys for girls. Both sexes spent equal time with the gender-neutral toys. Therefore, data showed these choices were instilled biologically(nature). These traits are genetically based and quite possibly and/or inherited through …show more content…
We 've learned from Goldstein 's study and others that the amygdala is larger in males and the amygdala its actions have to do with emotional arousal and stress. In rats, the neurons of the males have more interconnections in males, thus, we would assume the same would be true in human males. Presumably these anatomical differences could be factors in how the sexes respond to stress stimuli differently. Katharina Braun and her co-workers at Otto von Guericke University in Magdeburg, Germany conducted a study into just that. For purposes of the study they used a litter of Degu (Octodon Degu) pups. According to Smiley 's Degu Pups, Degus are a brown-tweed, long-tailed rodent, similar in appearance to the gerbil, but the size of a small guinea pig, originating in South America and also known as the “Chilean Squirrel. These animals by nature are a social animal and live in large colonies. Separation of these animals cause quite an emotional reaction. Thus, for stimuli, they removed the litter of pups from their mother. According to Cahill, “they then measured the concentration of serotonin receptors in various brain regions. Serotonin is a neurotransmitter, or signal carrying molecule, that is key for mediating emotional behavior. (Prozac, for example, acts by increasing serotonin function.).” After they measured the serotonin, they stimulated the pups by letting them
Abstract
As Larry Cahill 's article “His Brain, Her Brain”, points out there has been data showing a vast “...array of structural, chemical and functional variations” between the sexes; but does size matter? Lawrence Summers, former President of Harvard, thought so. Men 's brains are 13% larger than women 's brains, but does that really make them more advanced in math, physics and science? There are other anatomical variations and some of these are found to influence the way male and female brains work. Scientists have spent decades studying the brain and trying to answer questions regarding brain function. Trying to answer what actions are nature or nurture. Why do men and women act so …show more content…
Alexander of Texas A & M University used our “cousins” the vervet monkeys. They conducted a study testing if the selection of gender based toys were chosen by culture influence or was it innate biology. The vervet monkeys were used because they are less likely to be swayed by the effects of human culture, giving us a better factual data to this nature or nurture study. They were given a selection of gender specific (boy/girl) and gender-neutral toys to play with. Male monkeys chose gender specific toys for boys and the female monkeys chose gender specific toys for girls. Both sexes spent equal time with the gender-neutral toys. Therefore, data showed these choices were instilled biologically(nature). These traits are genetically based and quite possibly and/or inherited through …show more content…
We 've learned from Goldstein 's study and others that the amygdala is larger in males and the amygdala its actions have to do with emotional arousal and stress. In rats, the neurons of the males have more interconnections in males, thus, we would assume the same would be true in human males. Presumably these anatomical differences could be factors in how the sexes respond to stress stimuli differently. Katharina Braun and her co-workers at Otto von Guericke University in Magdeburg, Germany conducted a study into just that. For purposes of the study they used a litter of Degu (Octodon Degu) pups. According to Smiley 's Degu Pups, Degus are a brown-tweed, long-tailed rodent, similar in appearance to the gerbil, but the size of a small guinea pig, originating in South America and also known as the “Chilean Squirrel. These animals by nature are a social animal and live in large colonies. Separation of these animals cause quite an emotional reaction. Thus, for stimuli, they removed the litter of pups from their mother. According to Cahill, “they then measured the concentration of serotonin receptors in various brain regions. Serotonin is a neurotransmitter, or signal carrying molecule, that is key for mediating emotional behavior. (Prozac, for example, acts by increasing serotonin function.).” After they measured the serotonin, they stimulated the pups by letting them