Female Reproduction 1

Question 1

Which female gonadal cell makes activins and inhibins?

Answer 1

Granulosa cells

Question 2

Which female gonadal cell is sensitive to LH? Which one is sensitive to FSH?

Answer 2

LH acts on Theca cells

FSH acts on Granulosa cells

Question 3

The number of oocytes in a female’s life peaks at ___ weeks gestational age due to ______ divisions of oogonia. These become primary oocytes, which are arrested in _________.

Answer 3

Oocyte numbers peak at 15 weeks gestation due to mitotic divisions of the oogonia. The primary oocytes are arrested in Prophase 1.

Question 4

A woman ovulates approximately _______ times in a lifetime, which means that _______% of her oocytes are lost to apoptosis.

Answer 4

500 times. Over 99.9% of oocytes apoptose.

Question 5

The surge of which hormone is responsible for ovulation?

Answer 5

LH

Question 6

Primordial follicles contain the early oocyte and are surrounded by precursor ________ cells. ______ cells are later recruited from the interstitium.

Answer 6

precursor granulosa cells surround the early oocyte and theca cells are recruited from the interstitium

Question 7

What are the two phases of the ovarian cycle? When do they occur?

Answer 7

The follicular phase occurs from day 1 to ovulation (day 14) and the luteal phase occurs from ovulation to the beginning of menstruation (day 28)

Question 8

What hormone is responsible for the maturation of the Graafian follicle during the follicular phase of the ovarian cycle? What cells make this hormone?

Answer 8

Estrogen from the granulosa cells (granulosa cells convert the androgens made by the theca cells into estrogen)

Question 9

Which hormone dominates during the luteal phase of the ovarian cycle? What makes this hormone?

Answer 9

Progesterone made by the corpus luteum.

Question 10

The corpus luteum degenerates after ___ days if no pregnancy occurs.

Answer 10

10

Question 11

What happens to primary oocytes in late fetal life and during the first year after birth?

Answer 11

They are incorporated into primordial follicles and remain in the ovary in this form (prophase 1) until called upon for further development at puberty.

Question 12

FSH drives granulosa cells to convert androgens into estrogen, and when estrogen hits a threshold the ____ surge happens, causing _______. This releases the oocyte from Prophase 1 and it quickly enters meiosis II and arrests at _______, making it a ________ oocyte inside a Graafian follicle.

Answer 12

LH surge happens in response to estorgen peak, causing ovulation. Oocyte is released from Prophase 1, and it gets all the way to Metaphase 2 and arrests, making it a secondary oocyte in a Graafian follicle.

Question 13

Describe the hormonal process involved in follicular generation (how the dominant follicle becomes such).

Answer 13

As the dominant follicle generates increasing amounts of estrogen, feedback onto the hypothalamus causes a drop in FSH, leading to a decrease in aromatase (granulosa cell) conversion of androgens to estrogens. The build up of androgens in the non-dominant follicles causes atresia. The dominant follicle also has a higher number of FSH receptors, making it able to continue to convert androgens to estrogens despite the declining FSH levels.

Question 14

How do the phases of the Uterine cycle correspond to the phases of the Ovarian cycle.

Answer 14

The Proliferative phase of the uterine cycle corresponds to the Follicular phase of the ovarian cycle.

The Secretory phase of the uterine cycle corresponds to the Luteal phase of the ovarian cycle.

Question 15

Describe LH and FSH levels throughout the menstrual cycle.

Answer 15

LH levels increase very slightly until day 11 or 12 and spikes, causing ovulation on day 14. LH levels then rapidly decline decline until day 16ish, then slowly decline until the next cycle.

FSH levels decline slightly until day 12 and spike just before ovulation. After a rapid decline following ovulation, levels slowly decline until the next cycle.

Question 16

Describe inhibin levels throughout the menstrual cycle.

Answer 16

Slow increase until day 11, when levels rise a little, peak at ovulation, and slowly decrease again until day 16-17 when they rise a little more (slowly), peak at day 22 and slowly fall once again.

Looks like a biphasic, wimpy curve with a slightly larger second curve.

Question 17

Describe the estrogen and progesterone levels throughout the menstrual cycle.

Answer 17

Estrogen slowly increases until just before ovulation, when it spikes at day ~13, following a rapid decline until day 15, when they start to rise slowly and peak at day 22, followed by a gradual decrease in levels.

Progesterone slowly increases from day 12 to 15 then rises significantly more to high levels (from the corpus luteum), peaking at day 22.

Question 18

What happens to the endometrium during the secretory phase? What hormone is primarily responsible for this?

Answer 18

It becomes vascularized and slightly edematous in response to progesterone.

Question 19

What layer of the endometrium is suppied by the spiral arteries?

Answer 19

Stratum functionale

Question 20

During which endometrial cycle phase is the “ferning pattern” of the cervical mucus observed? Is the mucus thick, or thin at this point? What hormone is responsible for this state?

Answer 20

Seen during proliferative phase. Mucus is thin, in response to estrogen.

Question 21

During which endometrial cycle phase is the “ferning pattern” of the cervical mucus NOT observed? Is the mucus thick, or thin at this point? What hormone is responsible for this state?

Answer 21

Not observed during the secretory phase. Mucus is thick, due to progesterone.

Question 22

Vaginal mucus becomes thicker in response to _________ (hormone).

Answer 22

progesterone

Question 23

Which hormones are responsible for breast mammary duct proliferation, and lobule/alveolar growth, respectively?

Answer 23

Duct proliferation from estrogen

Lobule/alveolar growth from progesterone

Question 24

Which female disorder(s) are treated with pulsatile GnRH administration?

Answer 24

Kallmann syndrome.

Question 25

What is Kallmann syndrome?

Answer 25

GnRH cells went somewhere else during embryonic development, so no GnRH is released from the hypothalamus. Loss of sense of smell, no menstrual cycle. Tx is pulsatile GnRH administration.

Question 26

What female disorder(s) are treated with continuous GnRH administration?

Answer 26

Endometriosis, Leiyomyomas.

Question 27

What is endometriosis?

Answer 27

When endometrial tissue is found outside of the uterus which responds to estrogens during the menstrual cycle, causing pain, other problems.

Question 28

What is a Leiomyoma? What is the basis for its treatment?

Answer 28

Smooth muscle tumor of the uterus. GnRH reduces proliferation of the lesions.

Question 29

Define menopause.

Answer 29

Termination of reproductive function in the female.

Question 30

What are the clinical changes from menopause primarily due to?

Answer 30

Due to decreased levels of circulating estrogens.

Question 31

What conditions/symptoms may be indications for estrogen/progestin hormone replacement therapy in a post-menopausal woman? (name four)

Answer 31

Hot flashes, night sweats, cardiovascular disease, osteoporosis.

Question 32

Describe the NIH studies from 2005-2006: What did estrogen replacement result in? What did estrogen + progestin result in?

Answer 32

Estrogen replacement:
Increased incidence of stroke. Decreased incidence of hip fractures, breast cancer, and heart disease.

Estrogen + progestin replacement:
Increased incidence of breast cancer, heart disease and stroke. Decreased incidence of colorectal cancer, endometrial cancer, and hip fractures.