Ainsworth, Krystle (Spelman College). Mentor: Nicki Gerlach and Ellen Ketterson (Indiana University). Does elevated levels testosterone in the female dark-eyed junco have an effect on the immune system of her nestlings?

Abstract: Immunity is the ability of an organism to resists a disease by destroying foreign substances and organisms (Cohen et al., 1986). Testosterone is a steroid hormone produced mainly by the testes, it is responsible for the development and maintenance of male secondary characteristics. The relationship between testosterone and the immune system is not known very well. Phytohemagglutinin is used to test the cell-mediated immune response of nestlings of dark eyed junco's that have been implanted with testosterone implants. Testosterone had been shown to have no effect on the cell-mediated immunity of nestlings of the dark eyed junco and is positively correlated with mass of the nestlings.