Female Reproductive Cycle

Question 1

What is important in the ovary cycle?

Answer 1

Estradiol

Progesterone

Question 2

What is important in the uterine cycle?

Answer 2

FSH

LH

Question 3

What are the two phases of the ovarian cycle?

Answer 3

Follicular (before menstruation)

Luteal (after menstruation)

Question 4

What are the three phases of the uterine cycle?

Answer 4

Menstruation
Proliferation
Secretory

Question 5

What occurs in the proliferative phase?

Answer 5

The endometrium proliferates and begins to form secretory cells

Question 6

What occurs in the secretory phase?

Answer 6

The secretory cells are ready to secrete what is needed in case the egg is implanted

Question 7

Why are P4 and E2 declining at the end of a cycle?

Answer 7

Because they are inhibiting GnRH so FSH and LH are not being secreted in order to stimulate their release (corpus luteum is not being maintained)

Question 8

What cells produce E2?

Answer 8

Granulosa cells

Question 9

What cells produce P4?

Answer 9

Theca interna cells

Question 10

What occurs if an embryo implants into the endometrium?

Answer 10

The endometrium will begin to secrete hCG

Question 11

What does hCG do?

Answer 11

It has FSH and LH activity so it can continue to stimulate the corpus luteum to continue to create P4 and E2

Question 12

What does FSH stimulate pre-ovulatory?

Answer 12

Granuloma cells

Question 13

What does LH stimulate pre-ovulatory?

Answer 13

Theca interna cells

Question 14

What occurs in the 1st stage of the pre-ovulatory cycle?

Answer 14

FSH and LH increase binding to granulosa and theca interna cells causing and increase in E2 production (no P4 increase yet)

Question 15

What occurs in the 2nd stage of the pre-ovulatory cycle?

Answer 15

Estradiol is increasing which causes a decrease in GnRH and therefore LH and FSH due to negative feedback

Question 16

What occurs in the 3rd stage of the pre-ovulatory cycle?

Answer 16

The dominant follicle notices a decrease in FSH and LH so it upregulates its FSH and LH receptors stealing what is left of the two from the other follicles causing them to die off and it begins to produce large amounts of E2, once E2 reach a threshold of 600 pg/mL it switches from a negative to a positive feedback on GnRH causing a surge in FSH and LH

Question 17

What occurs in the 4th stage of the pre-ovulatory cycle?

Answer 17

LH stimulates theca interna cells to start producing more P4 causing and increase in proteins necessary to weaken the follicular wall and inhibit OMI

Question 18

What is OMI?

Answer 18

Ovum maturation inhibiting hormone

Question 19

What stage does OMI keep the ovum in?

Answer 19

Prophase I

Question 20

What occurs to theca interna and granulosa cells once ovulation occurs?

Answer 20

They collapse and stop making estradiol and stop the positive feedback on the hypothalamus to release GnRH; as the cells recover they become the corpus luteum and then begin to produce E2 and P4 again

Question 21

What does inhibin inhibit?

Answer 21

FSH only

Question 22

When does inhibin peak?

Answer 22

Prior to ovulation

Question 23

What occurs if inhibin is not reduced by the end of the cycle just prior to menstruation?

Answer 23

You will not have release of FSH and a new follicle cannot be stimulated

Question 24

What is the pulse generator of GnRH?

Answer 24

A decapeptide is released from cells surrounding the Arcuate nucleus in the hypothalamus that releases GnRH in a pulsatile manner

Question 25

How many times per day is GnRH released in a pulsatile way?

Answer 25

Every 90 minutes so 16 times per day

Question 26

What receptors are found on granulosa cells during luteal phase?

Answer 26

LH and FSH receptors | Now have the enzyme needed for P4 production

Question 27

What receptors are found on the theca interna cells during the luteal phase?

Answer 27

LH receptors

Question 28

Why do granulosa cells have LH receptors during the luteal phase?

Answer 28

So that they can produce also produce P4 to help the theca interna cells in keeping the uterus in the secretory phase

Question 29

Primary steroid hormone in follicular and luteal phase?

Answer 29

Follicular: Estradiol Luteal: Progesterone

Question 30

What is endometriosis?

Answer 30

Endometrial cells make it into the peritoneum and implant and begin to grow with each menstrual cycle

Question 31

How do you treat endometriosis?

Answer 31

Constant GnRH to stop the menstrual cycle

Question 32

What does constant GnRH cause?

Answer 32

Inhibition of FSH and LH release since the anterior pituitary does not respond to continuous GnRH

Question 33

How do you treat infertility in a healthy female that simply isn't menstruation?

Answer 33

GnRH pulsatile every 90-120 minutes

Question 34

What causes movement of the cilia in the fallopian tube to move the egg?

Answer 34

An increase in estradiol

Question 35

What does Activin do?

Answer 35

Stimulates FSH

Question 36

What secretes inhibin?

Answer 36

Thecal cells