Functions in Pregnancy Flashcards
What are the functions of the ovaries?
They make the eggs
The make hormones
What 2 hormones are produced by the ovaries?
Oestrogen
Progesterone
What is the function of the fallopian tube?
To allow time for the egg to be fertilised
What does cervix mean?
Neck of the womb
What are the functions of the cervix?
Allows sperm up
Stops bacteria getting up
Allows endometrium every month to come down when its shed
Allow dilatation during labour
When does oestrogen peak in the cycle?
In the first half of the cycle
What happens to oestrogen in the second half of the cycle?
It declines
When does progesterone peak in the cycle?
In the second half of the cycle
When does progesterone continue to increase instead of declining
When the egg is fertilised
What does progesterone cause?
The thickening of the lining of the endometrium
What does progesterone do to the endometrium in pregnancy?
It turns the endometrium into decidua
What effect does progesterone have on the endometrium?
It increases the vascularity of the endometrium
What happens to the stromal cells between the glands and the vessels?
They enlarge and become procoagulant, stopping the bleeding
What is another name for the egg?
The chorion
What type of cells are on the outside of the fertilised egg?
Trophoblast cells
What do trophoblast cells produce?
B-hCG
What does B-hCG stand for?
Beta human chorionic gonadotrophin
What is the target of B-hCG?
The corpus luteum of the ovary
What is the function of the B-hCG?
It targets the corpus luteum to produce progesterone to stop the decidua shedding
What do trophoblast celsl do when they invade the mothers blood vessels?
They link up with those of the fetus
What cells do you find between the mothers vessels?
Decidual stromal cells
What then starts to move into the decidua?
Projections of chorion covered in trophoblast cells
What are the decidual cells and what is their function?
They are procoagulant
they help stop bleeding
