Topic 5c- Animal and Plant Hormones Flashcards
(101 cards)
What happens at puberty?
At PUBERTY, your body starts releasing SEX HORMONES that trigger off SECONDARY SEXUAL CHARACTERISTICS.
What are the secondary sexual characteristics caused by sex hormones in puberty for men?
The development of FACIAL HAIR in men.
What are the secondary sexual characteristics caused by sex hormones in puberty for women?
- Women develop BREASTS.
- Sec hormones also cause EGGS to MATURE in women.
What is the main reproductive hormone in men?
Where is this hormone produced and what does it do?
In MEN, the main reproductive hormone is TESTOSTERONE.
It’s produced by the TESTES and stimulates SPERM PRODUCTION.
What is the main reproductive hormone in women?
Where is this hormone produced and what does it do?
In WOMEN, the main reproductive hormone is OESTROGEN.
It’s produced by the OVARIES.
As well as bringing about PHYSICAL CHANGES, oestrogen is also involved in the MENSTRUAL CYCLE.
What is the menstrual cycle?
The menstrual cycle is the monthly sequence of events in which the female body releases an egg and prepares the uterus (womb) in case it receives a fertilised egg.
Describe the four stages of the menstrual cycle.
Stage 1 = Day 1- MENSTRUATION (bleeding) STARTS. The uterus lining breaks down for about four days.
Stage 2- The UTERUS LINING BUILDS UP AGAIN, from day 4 to 14, into a thick spongy layer full of blood vessels, ready to receive a fertilised egg.
Stage 3- An EGG DEVELOPS and is RELEASED from the ovary at day 14- this is called OVULATION.
Stage 4- The WALL is then MAINTAINED for about 14 days until day 28. If no fertilised egg has landed on the uterus wall by day 28, the spongy lining starts to break down and the whole cycle starts again.
What is the menstrual cycle controlled by?
The menstrual cycle is controlled by four HORMONES.
What are the four hormones that control the menstrual cycle called?
The four hormones are:
- FSH (Follicle-Stimulating Hormone)
- LH (Luteinising Hormone)
- Oestrogen
- Progesterone
Where is FSH produced?
What is the role of FSH (follicle-stimulating hormone) in the menstrual cycle?
FSH (Follicle-Stimulating hormone)
- Produced in the PITUITARY GLAND.
- Causes an EGG TO MATURE in one of the ovaries, in a structure called a FOLLICLE.
Stimulates the OVARIES to produce OESTROGEN.
Where is oestrogen produced?
What is the role of oestrogen in the menstrual cycle?
Oestrogen
- Produced in the OVARIES
- Causes the lining of the uterus to GROW.
- STIMULATES the release of LH (which causes the release of an egg) and INHIBITS release of FSH.
Where is LH produced?
What is the role of LH (Luteinising Hormone) in the menstrual cycle?
LH (Luteinising Hormone)
- Produced by the PITUITARY GLAND.
- STIMULATES the RELEASE of an EGG at day 14 (ovulation).
Where is progesterone produced?
Progesterone
- Produced in the OVARIES by the remains of the FOLLICLE after ovulation.
- MAINTAINS the lining of the uterus during the SECOND HALF of the cycle. When the level of progesterone FALLS, the lining BREAKS DOWN.
- INHIBITS the release of LH and FSH.
How can you predict the level of certain hormones?
Levels of FSH, LH oestrogen and progesterone change throughout the menstrual cycle.
So the change in the level of one hormone can be used to predict the change in the level of another hormone.
E.g. FSH stimulates the ovaries to produce oestrogen, so if the FSH level rises you’d expect the oestrogen level to rise too. The increasing oestrogen level will then inhibit FSH release, causing the FSH level to drop.
What does the inhibition of FSH by oestrogen do?
The inhibition of FSH by oestrogen makes sure that no more eggs mature during that month’s cycle.
What is the main female reproductive hormone produced?
Oestrogen is the main female reproductive hormone produced in the ovary.
When do eggs begin to mature in a woman?
What is ovulation?
At puberty eggs begin to mature and one is released approximately every 28 days. This is called ovulation.
The release of an egg-ovulation.
When does pregnancy occur?
Pregnancy can happen if sperm reaches the ovulated egg.
What is fertility?
Fertility is the ability to get pregnant.
Why are contraceptives used?
Contraceptives can be used to prevent pregnancy.
Why is progesterone and oestrogen taken as contraceptives?
The hormones oestrogen and progesterone can be taken by women to reduce fertility and so are often used as contraceptives.
Why is oestrogen used to reduce fertility (getting pregnant)?
Oestrogen can be used to PREVENT the RELEASE of an EGG- so it can be used as a method of CONTRACEPTION.
How does oestrogen prevent ovulation?
This may seem odd (since naturally oestrogen helps stimulate the RELEASE of eggs). But if oestrogen is taken EVERY DAY to keep the level of it PERMANENTLY HIGH, it INHIBITS the production of FSH, and after a while EGG DEVELOPMENT and PRODUCTION STOP and stay stopped.
How does progesterone reduce fertility?
Progesterone also reduces fertility, e.g. by stimulating the production of THICK CERVICAL MUCUS which prevents any SPERM getting through and reaching an egg.
It can inhibit egg MATURATION and therefore the RELEASE of an egg too.