Organizational Effects

Organizational effects of androgens on aggression:

• Summary:

  • early exposure to androgens (both in utero and shortly after birth) increases the male�s responsiveness to testosterone later as an adult (organizing effect)
  • estrogen is able to replicate the effects of early androgen exposure suggesting that testosterone is aromatized to estrogen to mediate increased responsiveness to testosterone in the adult
  • How does this occur? Not sure--most likely involves steroid-induced gene transcription that can affect levels of receptors, enzymes and other proteins.

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