Running head: HEREDITY AND HORMONES
Heredity and Hormones
Heredity and Hormones
Similar to the nerves system the endocrine system is also a communication method of the human body, we will identify some of the hormones and what effect they have on the body. Then we will discuss the glands responsible for secreting them. Genetics is the study of how living things pass on traits from generation to generation; we will describe how this occurs and how behavior genetics correlates. Finally we will compare and the influence of heredity and hormones on human behavior and discuss evolutionary psychology.
The endocrine system is the way the body communicates with chemicals versus the nerves system which employs electrical impulses. By nature this system operates more slowly but it can have lasting effects on the body. The hormones are produced by glands in our bodies such as; thyroid, pineal, pancreas, pituitary, gonads, and adrenal glands. In chapter 2 of, “Psychology: An introduction” on pages 76 and 77 it explains much of the following: The thyroid produces thyroxin that can affect concentration and metabolism. Melatonin is produced by the pineal gland and helps regulate our sleep cycles. The pancreas regulates our blood sugar levels by emitting the proper level of insulin or glucagon. Most of our hormones are produced by the pituitary gland and can help regulate a number of functions of the body including; growth, blood pressure, thirst, contractions during child birth, milk production, and sexual behavior. Gonads emit androgens such as testosterone and estrogen which regulates sexual development. Lastly, the adrenal glands produce several important hormones including epinephrine which activates the sympathetic nervous system, and norepinephrine which raises blood pressure. (Morris & Maisto, 2005, chap. 2)
Genetics and heredity are very similar; heredity is the transmission of traits from one generation to another, genetics deals with the hereditary...