Estrogen and testosterone are steroid hormones that differ by only a few atoms. The different receptor binding properties those differences confer allow the hormones to do what during development?

Question

A.  Cause differential maturation of the prefrontal cortex during late adolescence.
B.  Cause a slight increase in muscle mass in females versus males.
C.  Make females naturally attracted to pink and males to blue.
D.  Control development of all sex-specific physical traits including sex organs, body hair, and breasts.

Clarify Question
What is the key concept addressed by the question?
What type of thinking is required?

Gather Content
What do you already know about estrogen and testosterone? What other information is related to the question?

Choose Answer
Given what you now know, what information is most likely to produce the correct answer?

Reflect on Process
Did your problem-solving process lead you to the correct answer? If not, where did the process break down or lead you astray? How can you revise your approach to produce a more desirable result?
 

Answer 1

D.  Control development of all sex-specific physical traits including sex organs, body hair, and breasts.

Clarify Question
What is the key concept addressed by the question?
        · What do estrogen and testosterone control?
What type of thinking is required?
            o This is an analyze question because you have to consider each answer for validity in terms of the roles of estrogen and testosterone during development.

Gather Content
What do you already know about estrogen and testosterone? What other information is related to the question?
        · Both estrogen and testosterone are produced in the ovaries and testis, as well as the adrenal glands in both sexes. Testosterone is an androgen, meaning that is stimulates the development of male characteristics, while estrogen stimulates the development of female characteristics.

Choose Answer
Given what you now know, what information is most likely to produce the correct answer?
        · One of the answers stated that different receptor binding properties of estrogen and testosterone cause a increase in muscle mass in females compared to males. The opposite, in fact is true- testosterone stimulates greater muscle mass in males. Although society has made generalizations about what colors are preferred by males and females, there is not conclusive evidence that boys and girls inherently are attracted to different colors as infants. Male and females express estrogen and testosterone receptors in their cells differently. This difference leads to the development of sex-specific physical traits including sex organs, body hair, and breasts.

Reflect on Process
Did your problem-solving process lead you to the correct answer? If not, where did the process break down or lead you astray? How can you revise your approach to produce a more desirable result?
       · Answering this question correctly depended upon analyzing each potential answer for accuracy in terms of describing the role of testosterone and estrogen. If you got the answer correct, great! If not, which answer did you choose? Did you think that color preference was developmentally produced instead of socially instilled? Did you know that males generally have more muscle mass, but you misread the answer?