Menu
Home
People
Places
Arts
History
Plants & Animals
Science
Life & Culture
Technology
Reference.org
Behavioral endocrinology
open-in-new
<h2 id="the-neuroendocrine-system">The neuroendocrine system</h2> <p class="note">Main article: <a href="/facts/Neuroendocrinology/lVldJ7MB">Neuroendocrinology</a></p> <p>The <a href="/facts/Neuroendocrinology/lVldJ7MB">neuroendocrine system</a> is an integrated system composed of neurons, glands and non-endocrine tissues, and the hormones and <a href="/facts/Neurochemistry/yXC6EbnT">neurochemicals</a> they produce and receive collectively regulate physiological or behavioral state.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:4" href="#fn:4"><sup>4</sup></a> </p> <h3>Hypothalamus</h3> <p class="note">Main article: <a href="/facts/Hypothalamus/lCkNt1bM">Hypothalamus</a></p> <p>The hypothalamus is a distinct part of the brain that is made up of neurons and its main purpose is to maintain homeostasis.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:5" href="#fn:5"><sup>5</sup></a> The hypothalamus also plays an important part in survival of the individual by integrating the interactions between hormonal and behavioral processes, such as, eating behavior and aggressive behavior.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:6" href="#fn:6"><sup>6</sup></a> </p> <h3>Pituitary gland</h3> <p class="note">Main article: <a href="/facts/Pituitary_gland/gdrQyldF">Pituitary gland</a></p> <p>The pituitary gland located in the brain is a major system in neuroendocrine system because the secretion of hormones from the anterior pituitary is directly regulated by the central nervous system.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:7" href="#fn:7"><sup>7</sup></a> </p> <h2 id="neuroendocrine-regulation-of-behavior">Neuroendocrine regulation of behavior</h2> <p>Social behavior, reproductive behavior, moods, feelings, attitudes, development and survival are affected by the neuroendocrine system and studied in the field of behavioral endocrinology.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:8" href="#fn:8"><sup>8</sup></a><a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:9" href="#fn:9"><sup>9</sup></a> </p> <h3>Adrenal Hormones</h3> <p class="note">Main article: <a href="/facts/Adrenal_hormones/JR71mVLe">Adrenal hormones</a></p> <h4>Cortisol</h4> <p class="note">Main article: <a href="/facts/Cortisol/5IvRV0cm">Cortisol</a></p> <p>See the <a href="/facts/Cortisol/5IvRV0cm">Cortisol: Memory</a> and <a href="/facts/Cortisol/5IvRV0cm">Stress</a> sections for more information on how cortisol has been found to affect behavior. </p> <h4>Adrenaline</h4> <p class="note">Main article: <a href="/facts/Adrenaline/k7vvMI7E">Adrenaline</a></p> <p>See the <a href="/facts/Adrenaline/k7vvMI7E">Adrenaline: Emotional response</a> and <a href="/facts/Adrenaline/k7vvMI7E">Memory</a> sections for more information on how adrenaline affects behavior. </p> <h3>Sex Steroids</h3> <p class="note">Main article: <a href="/facts/Sex_hormone/mI6bkHII">Sex hormone</a></p> <h4>Testosterone</h4> <p><a href="/facts/Testosterone/uUumdhAz">Testosterone</a> is secreted by the testicles of males and the ovaries of females, although small amounts are also secreted by the adrenal glands. It is the principal male sex hormone and an <a href="/facts/Anabolic_steroid/f9KAXfTF">anabolic steroid</a>. See <a href="/facts/Testosterone/uUumdhAz">Testosterone: Aggression and criminality</a> and <a href="/facts/Testosterone/uUumdhAz">Testosterone: Brain</a> for more information on how testosterone effects behavior. </p> <h4>Estrogen</h4> <p><a href="/facts/Estrogens/dPEewnDV">Estrogens</a>, together, make up a group of primary female <a href="/facts/Sex_hormones/mI6bkHII">sex hormones</a> synthesized in the <a href="/facts/Ovaries/z2hG6bNy">ovaries</a>. See <a href="/facts/Estrogen/dPEewnDV">Estrogen: Brain and behavior</a> for more on the role of estrogen in behavioral endocrinology. </p> <h3>Thyroid Hormones</h3> <p>Thyroid hormones are responsible for controlling metabolism, nervous system, body temperature and development of several organ systems such as the reproductive system. </p> <h2 id="diseases-and-medicine">Diseases and medicine</h2> <p class="note">Main article: <a href="/facts/Endocrine_disease/nDuNHkJY">Endocrine disease</a></p> <p><a href="/facts/Hyperthyroidism/H9Eqmbgk">Hyperthyroidism</a> and <a href="/facts/Hypothyroidism/oqtQDu2F">hypothyroidism</a> are the two major dysfunctions associated to behavioral and brain chemistry changes due to the imbalances in the thyroid hormones, <a href="/facts/Thyroid_hormones/9k4xJtCq">triiodothyronine</a> (T3) and <a href="/facts/Thyroid_hormones/9k4xJtCq">thyroxine</a> (T4).<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:10" href="#fn:10"><sup>10</sup></a> </p> <h2 id="history">History</h2> <p>Behavioral endocrinology has roots in <a href="/facts/Ethology/dM3CpysA">ethology</a> and is also seen as a combination of <a href="/facts/Endocrinology/4SqQu1NN">endocrinology</a> and <a href="/facts/Psychology/duoqW7Sz">psychology</a>. Like ethology, behavioral endocrinology focuses on behavior on the level of the whole organism. The invention of <a href="/facts/Radioimmunoassay/8VtajdJ8">radioimmunoassay</a> techniques revolutionized behavioral endocrinology, allowing scientists to see and quantify hormones. The field historically resists reductionist thinking and focuses on the physiological aspects of behavior.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:11" href="#fn:11"><sup>11</sup></a> </p> <h3>Influential scientists</h3> <p><a href="/facts/Charles_Otis_Whitman/RkvDtPFI">Charles Otis Whitman</a> </p><p><a href="/facts/Karl_Lashley/YLUSpl0v">Karl Lashley</a> </p> <h2 id="organizations">Organizations</h2> <ol><li>Society of Behavioral Neuroendocrinology- Platform that provides a network between interested persons from all different experience levels.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:12" href="#fn:12"><sup>12</sup></a></li></ol> <h2 id="see-also">See also</h2> <ul><li><a href="/facts/Neuroendocrinology/lVldJ7MB">Neuroendocrinology</a></li> <li><a href="/facts/Endocrinology/4SqQu1NN">Endocrinology</a></li> <li><a href="/facts/Hormone/WFnBnINJ">Hormone</a></li> <li><a href="/facts/Behavior/0Y1VqmVX">Behavior</a></li> <li><a href="/facts/Endocrine_disease/nDuNHkJY">Endocrine disease</a></li> <li><a href="/facts/Neuroendocrine_cell/7GVp7Gn9">Neuroendocrine cell</a></li> <li><a href="/facts/Evolutionary_psychology/hWbw0V9j">Evolutionary psychology</a></li></ul> <ol><li></li></ol> <ul><li></li></ul> <h2 id="references">References</h2> <ol> <li id="fn:1"><p>Becker, Jill B.; Breedlove, S. Marc; Crews, David. (1992). Behavioral endocrinology. Cambridge, Mass.: MIT Press. ISBN 0262023423. OCLC 24247523. <a href="0262023423" target="_blank">0262023423</a> <a href="#fnref:1" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:2"><p>Welling, Lisa L. M.; Shackelford, Todd K. (2019-05-09), "Future Directions in Human Behavioral Endocrinology", The Oxford Handbook of Evolutionary Psychology and Behavioral Endocrinology, Oxford University Press, pp. 432–441, doi:10.1093/oxfordhb/9780190649739.013.22, ISBN 9780190649739 <a href="9780190649739" target="_blank">9780190649739</a> <a href="#fnref:2" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:3"><p>Marler, Peter (2005-04-01). "Ethology and the origins of behavioral endocrinology". Hormones and Behavior. 47 (4): 493–502. doi:10.1016/j.yhbeh.2005.01.002. ISSN 0018-506X. PMID 15777816. S2CID 16538119. <a href="/wiki/Doi_(identifier)" target="_blank">/wiki/Doi_(identifier)</a> <a href="#fnref:3" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:4"><p>Levine, Jon E. (2012-01-01), Fink, George; Pfaff, Donald W.; Levine, Jon E. (eds.), "Chapter 1 - An Introduction to Neuroendocrine Systems", Handbook of Neuroendocrinology, Academic Press, pp. 3–19, ISBN 9780123750976, retrieved 2019-10-07 <a href="9780123750976" target="_blank">9780123750976</a> <a href="#fnref:4" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:5"><p>Hennig, J. (2001-01-01), "Hypothalamus", in Smelser, Neil J.; Baltes, Paul B. (eds.), International Encyclopedia of the Social & Behavioral Sciences, Pergamon, pp. 7113–7118, ISBN 9780080430768, retrieved 2019-10-07 <a href="9780080430768" target="_blank">9780080430768</a> <a href="#fnref:5" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:6"><p>Hennig, J. (2001-01-01), "Hypothalamus", in Smelser, Neil J.; Baltes, Paul B. (eds.), International Encyclopedia of the Social & Behavioral Sciences, Pergamon, pp. 7113–7118, ISBN 9780080430768, retrieved 2019-10-07 <a href="9780080430768" target="_blank">9780080430768</a> <a href="#fnref:6" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:7"><p>Goodman, H. Maurice (2009-01-01), Goodman, H. Maurice (ed.), "Chapter 2 - Pituitary Gland", Basic Medical Endocrinology (Fourth Edition), Academic Press, pp. 29–42, ISBN 9780123739759, retrieved 2019-10-07 <a href="9780123739759" target="_blank">9780123739759</a> <a href="#fnref:7" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:8"><p>Welling, Lisa L. M.; Shackelford, Todd K. (2019-05-09), "Future Directions in Human Behavioral Endocrinology", The Oxford Handbook of Evolutionary Psychology and Behavioral Endocrinology, Oxford University Press, pp. 432–441, doi:10.1093/oxfordhb/9780190649739.013.22, ISBN 9780190649739 <a href="9780190649739" target="_blank">9780190649739</a> <a href="#fnref:8" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:9"><p>Welling, Lisa L. M.; Shackelford, Todd K. (2019). Welling, Lisa L. M.; Shackelford, Todd K. (eds.). The Oxford handbook of evolutionary psychology and behavioral endocrinology. Oxford library of psychology. New York, NY: Oxford University Press. ISBN 978-0-19-064973-9. OCLC 1033551068.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: date and year (link) <a href="978-0-19-064973-9" target="_blank">978-0-19-064973-9</a> <a href="#fnref:9" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:10"><p>Bauer, Michael; Whybrow, Peter C. (2002), "Thyroid Hormone, Brain, and Behavior", Hormones, Brain and Behavior, Elsevier, pp. 239–264, doi:10.1016/b978-012532104-4/50023-8, ISBN 9780125321044 <a href="9780125321044" target="_blank">9780125321044</a> <a href="#fnref:10" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:11"><p>Marler, Peter (2005-04-01). "Ethology and the origins of behavioral endocrinology". Hormones and Behavior. 47 (4): 493–502. doi:10.1016/j.yhbeh.2005.01.002. ISSN 0018-506X. PMID 15777816. S2CID 16538119. <a href="/wiki/Doi_(identifier)" target="_blank">/wiki/Doi_(identifier)</a> <a href="#fnref:11" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:12"><p>"About Us". Society for Behavioral Neuroendocrinology. Retrieved 2019-10-07. <a href="https://sbn.org/about.aspx" target="_blank">https://sbn.org/about.aspx</a> <a href="#fnref:12" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> </ol>