Spring 2009

WGS 323 • Animal Sexuality

Course Description

This course will emphasize the basics of sex determination and sexual differentiation, particularly as it relates to reproduction from the different levels of biological organization, from the molecular to the evolutionary. We will also discuss in some detail the ways hormones influence gene expression, the development of organ systems and the structure of cells, the interactions of endocrine secretions, the behavior of individuals, the structure of social hierarchies, and the evolution of mating systems. By the end of this course you should be able to discuss intelligently issues such as homosexuality in man and animals, environmental consequences of the release of agricultural and manufacturing chemicals into the environment on health, how hormones regulate reproduction and behavior, how stress affects reproduction and the immune system, how birth control pills work, etc.

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