Homeostasis and response Flashcards
During puberty, reproductive hormones cause
secondary sex characteristics to develop
follicle stimulating hormone (FSH) causes
the maturation of an egg in the ovary
Luteinising hormone (LH) stimulates
the release of an egg
oestrogen and progesterone are involved in
maintaining the uterus lining with oestrogen being made in the ovaries and progesterone by an empty egg called the corpus luteum.
What two hormones in the menstrual cycle are produced by the pituatry gland in the brain?
FSH and LH
FSH stimulates the
development of a follicle in the ovary
Describe the main male reproductive hormone.
Testosterone which is produced in the testes; testosterone stimulates sperm production.
Describe the main female reproductive hormone.
Oestrogen which is produced by the ovaries. Oestrogen plays an important role in the menstrual cycle which begins at puberty, as well as causing physical changes to occur in the body (such as breast development).
During the menstrual cycle,
eggs in the ovaries begin to mature and one is released approximately every 28 days in a process called ovulation.
Describe the stages of the menstrual cycle.
1, During the menstrual cycle, the lining of the uterus builds up and ovulation occurs. The average menstrual cycle is 28 days long and there are four overall stages:
- menstruation: loss of lining from the uterus, occurs at the start of the cycle if no fertilisation has occurred
- The lining starts to thicken
- ovulation occurs around the middle of the cycle (about day 14) , the egg travels down the oviduct towards the uterus
- The lining is maintained ready to accept a fertilized egg.
What four hormones control the events that occur during the menstrual cycle?
Two of these hormones are produced by the pituatry gland in the brain:
- Follicle stimulating hormone (FSH) causes maturation of an egg in the ovary.
- Luteinising hormone (LH) stimulates the release of the egg
- The other two hormones, oestrogen and progesterone, are involved in maintaining the uterus lining with oestrogen being made by the ovaries and progesterone specifically by an empty egg follicle called the corpus luteum.
Interactions of the hormones in the menstrual cycle (if pregnant and not pregnant)
- The pituatry gland produces FSH which stimulates the development of a follicle in the ovary.
- an egg matures inside the follicle and the follicle produces the hormone oestrogen- so FSH stimulates the production of oestrogen
- Oestrogen causes growth and repair of the lining of the uterus wall and inhibits the production of FSH
- When oestrogen rises to a high enough level, it stimulates the release of LH from the pituatry gland which causes ovulation (usually around day 14 of the cycle)
- The follicle becomes a corpus luteum and starts producing progesterone
- Progesterone maintains the uterus lining (the thickness of the uterus wall)
- If the egg is not fertilised, the corpus luteum breaks down and progesterone levels drop
- This causes menstruation (period)
- If fertilisation does occur the corpus luteum continues to produce progesterone, preventing the uterus lining from breaking down (the breakdown of the lining would prevent a pregnancy).
- Once the placenta has developed, it starts secreting progesterone and continues to do so throughout the pregnancy to maintain the lining.
Hormone level graphs explanation
- FSH is released by the pituatry gland and causes an egg to start maturing in the ovary and it also strimulates the ovaries to start releasing oestrogen.
- The pituatry gland is strimulated to release luteinising hormone when oestrogen levels have reached their peak.
- LH causes ovulation to occur and also stimulates the ovary to produce progesterone.
- Oestrogen levels rise from day 1 to peak just before day 14.
- This causes the uterine wall to start thickening and the egg to mature.
- The peak in oestrogen occurs just before the egg is released.
- Progesterone stays low from day 1-14 and starts to rise after ovulation.
- The increasing levels cause the uterus lining to thicken further;a fall in progesterone levels causes the uterus lining to break down (menstruation).
FSH role in the menstrual cycle
- strimulates egg maturation in the follicles of the ovary.
- stimulates follicles in the ovaries to secrete oestrogen.
LH role in the menstrual cycle
- At its peak stimulates ovulation (release of egg into oviduct)
- results in the formation of a corpus luteum.
Oestrogen role in the menstrual cycle
- strimulates the uterus to develop a lining (to replace the lining lost during menstruation).
- Post-ovulation, inhibits FSH and LH production in the pituatry gland.
Progesterone role in the menstrual cycle.
- maintains and thickens lining of the uterus.
- inhibits FSH and LH production.
- If fertilisation doesn’t occur, levels drop and menstruation occurs,
Contraceptive methods aim to
prevent fertilisation and and pregnancy, and include the use of hormones (oestrogen and progesterone) as well as non-hormonal methods (such as the use of barriers or surgery).
Hormones can also be used to
increase the chance of pregnancy occurring when it previously might not have done.
Benefits of contraception
- preventing unwanted pregnancies or pregnancies that may lead to risks to the mother’s health of pregnancies that have occurred as a result of rape.
counter-arguments to contraception
Ethical and religious concerns about making decisions that may or may not lesd to life.
Can issues around contraception be answered by science alone?
No.
Methods of birth control in humans
chemical - contraceptive implant - iud or ius - contraceptive pill Barrier - condom - femidom - diaphragm Natural - abstinence - monitoring body temperature - monitoring changes in cervical mucus Surgical -vasectomy - female sterilisation
Some birth control methods also give protection from
secually transmitted infections
Chemical
- oral contraceptives that contain hormones to inhibit FSH production so that no eggs mature; there are two types;
- the combined pill contains oestrogen and progesterone which is over 99% effective at preventing pregnancy
- High levels of oestrogen inhibit FSH production preventing the maturation and release of eggs
- Progesterone also plays a role in inhibiting the release of mature eggs and stimulates the production of a thick mucus which prevents sperm from reaching any eggs that are released.
- There is also a progesterone-only pill which has fewer side effects.
- Injection, implant or skin patch of slow-release progesterone to inhibit the maturation and release of eggs for a number of months of years.
- Benefits of implants reduce the chance of someone forgetting to take the pill (which should be taken at the same time every day to be most effective)>
- Intrauterine devices (IUD) which prevent implantation of an embryo or release a hormone; there are two types.
- a plastic IUD produces progesterone which stimulates the production of a thick mucus lining preventing sperm from reaching any eggs.
- A copper IUD works by releasing low levels of copper ions which disable sperm cells.
Barrier
- Barrier methods such as condoms and diaphragms prevent the sperm from reaching an egg
- Condoms are the only barrier method that can prevent the spread of sexually transmitted infections.
- Spermicidal agents which kill or disable sperm - only 70-80% effective.
Natural
- abstaining from intercourse when an egg may be in the oviduct
- complete abstinence is the only 100% effective method at preventing pregnancy
- Natural methods involve avoiding intercourse during the most fertile part of the menstrual cycle but they are not as highly effective as fertility cannot be accurately predicted.
Surgical
- Surgical methods of male and female sterilisation
- In a female, the oviducts which connect the ovaries to the uterus (also called the fallopian tubes) can be cut and tied.
- In a male, the sperm ducts (the tube connecting the testes to the penis) can also be cut and tied in a procedure called a vasectomy.
- Both methods are highly effective but there have been a small number of cases where tubes have rejoined.