Female Reproductive Physiology

Question 1

Female puberty

Answer 1

anatomical and physiological changes in a girls body are controlled by hormones that lead to sexual maturity typically beginning at age 10 or 11 and ending between ages 15 and 17

Question 2

with the onset of puberty

Answer 2

GnRH is released from the hypothalamus and triggers the anterior lobe of the pituitary gland to produce and release two gonadotropins

Question 3

Follicle stimulating hormone (FSH)

Answer 3

travels from the anterior lobe of the pituitary gland through the blood to the ovaries to stimulate follicle cells to divide

Question 4

follicle cells

Answer 4

produce and release estrogens to stimulate maturation of an oocyte

Question 5

Luteinizing hormone (LH)

Answer 5

travels from the anterior lobe of the pituiatry gland through the blood to the ovaries where it stimulates the differentiation of cells in a developing follicle and eventually triggers ovulation

Question 6

estrogens and progesterone are mainly involved in

Answer 6

the development of the female reproductive organs and secondary sex characteristics, but testosterone also plays a role

Question 7

adrenal testosterone

Answer 7

initiates growth spurt and causes pubic hair to appear

Question 8

estrogens

Answer 8

cause breast development and maturation of ovaries, fallopian tubes, uterus, vagina

Question 9

external genitalia reach

Answer 9

physical maturity

Question 10

menarche

Answer 10

typically occurs around age 12 or 13, provided that girl possess at least 17% body fat

Question 11

first ovulation

Answer 11

typically occurs around the age of 14

Question 12

adipose tissues

Answer 12

deposited in the mons pubis, hips, thighs, buttocks, and breasts

Question 13

sebaceous glands

Answer 13

begin to secrete more sebum and create acne problems

Question 14

vocal cords

Answer 14

change in length and thickness causing voice quality to change

Question 15

oogenesis

Answer 15

the process by which haploid oocytes are produced in the ovaries

Question 16

timeline of oogenesis

Answer 16

begins before birth, pauses during childhood, accelerats at puberty, occurs on a monthly basis until female goes through menopause

Question 17

primordial germ cells (PGC)

Answer 17

migrate to developing overy during embryonic development, where they become enclosed in a layer of cells and form a primordial follicle

Question 18

each primordial follicle contains

Answer 18

a diploid oogonium

Question 19

oogonia

Answer 19

do not undergo mitosis, so number of eggs that a female will produce during her life is established before birth and continually declines

Question 20

an oogonium grows within its primordial follicle

Answer 20

and becomes a primary oocyte, which causes the primordial follicle to become a primary follicle

Question 21

primary oocyte

Answer 21

starts meiosis but process is suspended during prophase I

Question 22

with the onset of puberty, several primary follicles

Answer 22

will start to develop each month

Question 23

how many primary follicles mature

Answer 23

only one to three primary follicles will actually mature, while the rest degenerate

Question 24

follicle cells in puberty

Answer 24

change shape and divide repeatedly to form layers of granulosa cells around a primary oocyte; they produce and secrete jelly-like zona pellucida between granulosa cells and primary oocyte

Question 25

maturing primary oocyte will become a

Answer 25

secondary follicle

Question 26

cells near the oocyte in a secondary follicle

Answer 26

secrete liquor folliculi that accumulates within follicle and forms large antrum

Question 27

the growing antrum causes the secondary follicle to

Answer 27

become a Graafian follicle

Question 28

primary oocyte resumes

Answer 28

Meiosis and completes reduction division, which forms large secondary oocyte and smaller, non-functional first polar body

Question 29

the Graafian follicle ruptures and

Answer 29

expels secondary oocyte and polar body from the ovary

Question 30

if a sperm penetrates the wall of a secondary oocyte

Answer 30

Meiosis II will be completed which forms a large haploid ovum and a smaller, non-functional second polar body

Question 31

the empty Graafian follicle

Answer 31

remains in the ovary and gets transformed into a corpus luteum, which produces high levels of progesterone and some estradiol until it eventually degenerates to form a corpus albicans

Question 32

sexual arousal in a female is triggered by

Answer 32

various olfactory, visual, tactile, and/or mental stimuli that cause the limbic system in the cerebrum to “turn on” her sex drive

Question 33

signals sent to the vagina

Answer 33

cause Bartholin’s glands to secrete lubricating mucus near vaginal orifice to prepare for sexual intercourse

Question 34

blood flow to the external genitalia

Answer 34

increases during sexual arousal- causes clitoris to become erect

Question 35

blood supply to the breasts

Answer 35

increases during sexual arousal- causes nipples to become erect and sensitive

Question 36

stimulation of the nipples and/or clitoris leads to the

Answer 36

plateau phase

Question 37

sex flush

Answer 37

skin becomes redder because of increased blood flow

Question 38

effect on vagina during the plateau phase

Answer 38

vagina swells with blood and becomes sensitive

- forms orgasmic platform that changes vagina’s shape; creates cavity to prevent sperm leakage

Question 39

breasts during the plateau phase

Answer 39

increase in size

Question 40

continued stimulation of the clitoris may culminate in an

Answer 40

orgasm with a release of tension

Question 41

strong rhythmic contractions in muscles of perineum spread to

Answer 41

walls of vagina and uterus; occur every 0.8 to 1.0 second for as long as 15 seconds

Question 42

“female ejaculation”

Answer 42

some women secrete large amounts of fluid from Skene’s glands during climax and experience “female ejaculation”

Question 43

female refractory period

Answer 43

a female has no refractory period during resolution, so she could experience multiple orgasms as long as sexual stimulation continues

Question 44

body returns to its pre-arousal state in resolution

Answer 44

orgasmic platform relaxes and cervix returns to its original position in vagina to make contact with semen