Female reproduction Flashcards
What hormone mantains a quiet uterus so that the follicle can implant and grow?
progesterone
Primary oocyte –> primordial follicle occurs by what age?
6 months
what are the 9 steps of the oocyte?
- primary oocyte
- primordial follicle
- primary follicle
- secondary follicle
- early tertiary follicle
- graafian follicle
- corpus hemorrhagic
- corpus luteum
- corpus albicans
What occurs during the follicular phase?
FSH is secreted and stimulates the development of follicles
What occurs during the ovulatory phase?
LH surge causes rupture of graafian follicle –> corpus hemorrhagic
What occurs during the luteal phase?
LH converts ruptured follicle to corpus luteum
conversion of proliferative uterus to secretory uterus
What hormone is the proliferative phase dominated by?
estrogens
What hormone is the secretory phase dominated by?
progesterone
Which phase of the menstrual cycle is always 14 days and does not vary?
secretory phase
What special event occurs in the late follicular phase?
estradiol is high causing positive feedback and a surge in LH and FSH
Does positive or negative feedback occur in the luteal phase?
negative feedback
Where does FSH bind to?
receptors on granulosa cells
Where does LH bind?
receptors on theca cells
Where are androgens converted to estrogens?
in granulosa cells
Do granulosa cells have LH receptors
yes
LH and FSH are alpha beta dimers, which subunit determines their specificity?
beta
List these in order of potency: estrone, estriol, b-estradiol
beta estradiol > estrone> estriol
Where are estrogens inactivated?
in the liver by conjugation to glucoronic or sulfuric acids
Where is progesterone degraded?
in the liver to steroids
Which cell, theca or granulosa, lacks aromatase?
theca cell
What enzymes do granulosa cells lack?
17 alpha hydroxylase and 17,20 desmolase
Name some of estrogen’s effects
- proliferation of endometrium
- induction of progesterone receptors - priming uterus
- proliferation and dev. of mucosal lining of fallopian tubes
- bone growth - inhibition of osteoclasts
- inc fat deposition in subcutaneous tissues
Name some of progesterone’s effects
- secretory changes in uterine endometrium
- dec frequency and intensity of uterine contractions
- inc fallopian tube secretions
- development of lobules and alveoli in breasts
Define what these terms mean:
thelarche
adrenarche
menarche
thelarche - breast development
adrenarche - inc in adrenal androgens
menarche - commencement of menstrual cycles
Before puberty, release of gonadotrophins is inhibited by what?
low amount of sex steroids
WHat happens to the level of gonadotrophins during menopause?
they rise
What immunoassay is used to test if menopause has occured in a woman?
of FSH and LH - look for increase
What provides the postmenopausal source of estrogen?
estrone
What is more potent, estrone or estradiol?
estradiol
At puberty, about how many germ cells are there? at birth?
puberty : 400,000
birth: 1-2 million
