Preoptic Area of the Rat Brain

These photomicrographs of sections through the preoptic area of a rat brain show (a) normal male, (b) normal female, and (c) androgenized female, given an injection of testosterone shortly after birth. SDN-POA = sexually dimorphic nucleus of the preoptic area; OC = optic chiasm; V = third ventricle; SCN = suprachiasmatic nucleus; AC = anterior commissure. (From Gorski, R. A., in Neuroendocrine Perspectives, Vol. 2, edited by E. E. Müller and R. M. MacLeod. Amsterdam: Elsevier-North Holland, 1983. Reprinted with permission.)