The principle that best describes an organizational effect of androgens that prevents an animal from showing female sexual behavior during adulthood is
A) aromatization.
B) masculinization.
C) behavioral masculinization.
D) feminization.
E) behavioral defeminization.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The principle that best describes the organizational effect of androgens that prevents an animal from showing female sexual behavior during adulthood is behavioral defeminization. This is because androgens act during development to prevent the organization of neural circuits that would enable the expression of female-typical behaviors later in life. This effect is often seen in species where females do not normally exhibit male-typical behaviors, such as rodents and birds. Masculinization and behavioral masculinization refer to the development of male-typical traits, while feminization refers to the development of female-typical traits. Aromatization is the process by which androgens are converted to estrogen, which can also have organizational effects on the brain.

The Principle That Best Describes an Organizational Effect of Androgens