Heredity and Hormones Effect on Behavior Essay -- essays research pape

Human behavior has been a mystery to scientists and psychologists for years. What causes humans to act the way they do? Is it learned by experience, or inherited from prior generations? The human brain is a complex machine driven by numerous intangibles that influence our thinking process directly and indirectly. The endocrine system in the human body stores a chemical known as hormones. Hormones are released by endocrine glands into the bloodstream and travel throughout the body carrying messages. A hormonal impulse is similar to a nerve impulse only much slower. The messages carried by the hormones trigger different behaviors. Hormones can affect behavior in many ways such as: Mental activity or tiredness, boredom or excitement, sexual behavior, the ability to maintain focus, boldness, the potency of stress, and the admiration of friendship. Hormones can also be a leading factor in whether a person is in a good mood or a bad mood (Morris & Maisto, 2005). Endocrine glands located in different parts of the body all release unique hormones, some of these hormones can affect behavior in different ways. The thyroid gland, located beneath the voice box releases the hormone known as thyroxin. Thyroxin is the hormone responsible for regulating the level of metabolism in a human body. Therefore, thyroxin can be related to the amount of energy one has, their sleeping habits, ability to focus and concentrate, and even their individual temperament. The pituitary gland, located on the bottom side of the brain, produces a variety of hormones, some of which affect human behavior. These hormones can have an affect on sexual conduct and desire (Morris & Maisto, 2005). The gonads in the human body differ depending on the sex of the human. T... ...utionary psychologists believe that behavior is not influenced by environments or situations but by natural instincts that have been inherited through a process known as natural selection. Natural selection suggests that only those who posses survival traits and adapt well to their surroundings survive and pass on these traits to offspring (Morris & Maisto, 2005). Human behavior remains a great mystery to psychologists and there is really no evidence that pinpoints the exact cause of our behavior. Some things are certain, genes and hormones directly affect behavior, but the extent of this influence is still debatable. There are many intangibles that are factored in when considering human behavior but no single factor shows evidence of how our minds make decisions. Human behavior is directly influenced by decisions, and decisions are apparently not an exact science.