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Biology > B1: The Menstrual Cycle and Controlling Fertility > Flashcards

B1: The Menstrual Cycle and Controlling Fertility Flashcards

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1
Q

What is the menstrual cycle?

A

The monthly release of an egg from a woman’s ovaries and the build up and breakdown of the protective lining in the uterus.

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2
Q

What happens during stage 1 of the cycle?

A
  • This is when the bleeding starts.

- The uterus lining breaks down for about four days.

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3
Q

What happens during stage 2 of the cycle?

A
  • The lining of the uterus builds up again, from day 4 to day 14, into thick spongy layer full of blood vessels, ready to receive the fertilised egg.
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4
Q

What happens during stage 3 of the cycle?

A
  • An egg is developed and then released from the ovary at day 14.
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5
Q

What happens during stage 4 of the cycle?

A
  • 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 again and the whole cycle starts again.
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6
Q

What is the menstrual cycle controlled by?

A

Hormones.

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7
Q

What are the three main hormones involved in the cycle?

A
  1. FSH (Follicle-Stimulating Hormone)
  2. Oestrogen
  3. LH (Luteinising Hormone)
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8
Q

What is the role of FSH in the cycle?

A
  1. It causes an egg to mature in the ovaries.

2. It stimulates that ovaries to produce oestrogen.

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9
Q

Where is FSH produced?

A

By the pituitary gland.

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10
Q

What is the role of oestrogen in the cycle?

A
  1. It causes the pituitary gland to produce LH

2. It inhibits the further release of FSH

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11
Q

Where is oestrogen produced?

A

In the ovaries.

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12
Q

What is the role of LH in the cycle?

A
  1. It stimulates the release of an egg at around the middle of the menstrual cycle.
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13
Q

Where is LH produced?

A

By the pituitary gland.

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14
Q

Why is oestrogen used as a method of contraception?

A
  • Because it can be used to prevent the release of an egg.

- If oestrogen is taken everyday to keep the level of it permanently high, it inhibits the production of FSH

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15
Q

What other hormones can be used to reduce fertility?

A

Progesterone.

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16
Q

What are the advantages of the contraceptive pill?

A
  1. It is over 99% effective at preventing pregnancy

2. It reduces the risk of getting some types of cancer

17
Q

What are the disadvantages of the contraceptive pill?

A
  1. It is not 100% effective at preventing pregnancy
  2. It can cause side-effects like headaches, nausea, fluid retention and irregular menstrual bleeding
  3. It does not protect against STDs/STIs
18
Q

What were the side-effects of the old contraceptive pill?

A

There were concerns about a link between oestrogen and side effects like blood clots.

19
Q

What does the contraceptive pill contain?

A

Progesterone and low doses of oestrogen.

20
Q

How can hormones be used to increase fertility?

A
  1. Some women have levels of FSH that are to low to cause eggs to mature. This means that no eggs are released and the woman cannot get pregnant.
  2. FSH and LH can be injected into these women to stimulate egg release in their ovaries.
21
Q

What are the advantages and disadvantages of injecting LH and FSH to increase fertility?

A

+ It helps get lots of women pregnant

  • It does not always work
  • Too many eggs could be stimulated, resulting in unexpected multiple pregnancies (twins)
22
Q

What does IVF involve?

A
  1. Collecting eggs from the woman’s ovaries and fertilising them in a lab using the man’s sperm. These are then grown into embryos
  2. The embryos then split into tiny balls and one or two of them are implanted back into the woman’s womb. More than one embryo is implanted to improve the chance of pregnancy.
  3. FSH and LH are given before the egg collection to stimulate egg production.
23
Q

What is the advantage of IVF?

A
  1. Fertility treatment can give an infertile couple a child
24
Q

What are the disadvantages of IVF?

A
  1. Some women can have strong reactions to the hormones
  2. There have been some reports of an increased risk of cancer due to the hormonal treatment but it is not clear at the moment
  3. Multiple births can happen if more than one of the embryos grows into a baby.
25
Q

What does IVF stand for?

A

In-vitro fertilisation

Biology (19 decks)

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