Hormones and heredity play a part in human behavior. This paper will discuss how hormones and heredity affect human behavior. It will compare and contrast hormones and heredity to see how it works in reference to behavior.
The endocrine system is a part of the body that that is made up of glands called endocrine glands. These glands produce hormones. Hormones are released into the blood stream. Hormones help guide things like metabolism, growth, and things like sexual development. Hormones tend to affect a person’s emotions as well. The glands that effect hormones would be the thyroid glands, pituitary glands, pineal glands, and the adrenal glands.
The thyroid gland is a gland that affects many parts of the body and at times is mood altering. The thyroid gland secrets a hormone called thyroxin. If the body has too much thyroxin it could cause irritability, and lose of concentration. If the body does not have enough thyroxin it could cause the body to have a low metabolism or cause a person to have no energy. The pituitary gland produces the largest number of hormones and is at times called the master gland. (pg. 90) the pituitary gland deals with things like sexual interest, sexual behavior, blood pressure, and thirst, contractions during child birth and milk production. This gland also plays parts in body growth and even how much water is in the cells. The pineal gland and the adrenal glands also secrete hormones. The pineal gland helps with the sleep-wake part of the body and the adrenal gland deals with things like blood pressured, sympathetic nervous system, and the delay of the body’s reaction to stress.
Genetics on the other hand are another story. There have been many studies on how genetics may play a part in human behavior. Some scientists think that it is possible to acquire some behaviors from genetics. It is noted that some things are passed on such as forms of Alzheimer’s disease, some forms of alcoholism, schizophrenia, cognitive functioning,...