Hormones and fertility

Question 1

Which two organs secrete hormones during the menstrual cycle?

Answer 1

1. Pituitary gland

2. Ovaries

Question 2

Which 4 hormones are released during the menstrual cycle?

Answer 2

1. FSH
2. Oestrogen
3. Progesterone
4. LH

Question 3

What does the FSH hormone do? (2)

Answer 3

1. causes eggs to mature

2. Stimulates the ovary to produce oestrogen

Question 4

What does oestrogen do? (2)

Answer 4

1. Inhibits FSH production

2. Stimulates the pituitary gland to produce the hormone LH

Question 5

At what stage of the menstrual cycle is ovulation?

Answer 5

14 days in

Question 6

What is the order of the menstrual cycle? (5)

Answer 6

1. Menstruation
2. Womb lining thickens
3. Ovulation
4. Lining maintained
5. If egg not fertilised the womb lining and egg come out as period

Question 7

What does the pill do, and how?

Answer 7

The pill contains oestrogen (or oestrogen and progesterone), which inhibits the production of FSH, which in turn prevents eggs from maturing in the ovaries.

Question 8

What do ‘fertility drugs’ contain and why?

Answer 8

FSH which stimulates eggs to mature in the ovaries

Question 9

What kind of contraceptive is the pill?

Answer 9

An oral contraceptive

Question 10

Why does oestrogen stop FSH being produced?

Answer 10

So that only one egg matures in a cycle

Question 11

What does the hormone LH do?

Answer 11

1. Causes the mature egg to be released from the ovary

Question 12

What are 3 advantages of using oral contraceptives?

Answer 12

1. Allows people to choose when they have a family
2. Allows people to choose the time they stop having children
3. Evidence of decreased risk of developing cancer of the uterus and ovaries

Question 13

What are 4 disadvantages of using oral contraceptives?

Answer 13

May suffer from change in:

1. Weight
2. Mood
3. Blood pressure
4. AND increased risk of developing blood clotts

Question 14

What causes oral contraceptives to have side effects?

Answer 14

The hormones in them

Question 15

Why do people use fertility treatment?

Answer 15

To increase the chance of pregancy

Question 16

What is a small problem with fertility treatments?

Answer 16

Don’t always work

Question 17

What is a risky problem with fertility treatments?

Answer 17

1. Boosted production of mature eggs
2. higher chance of multiple conceptions- twins/ triplets
3. higher risk of complications
4. may lead to premature or underweight babies

Question 18

Define IVF

Answer 18

When the egg is fertilised outside the body then implanted back into the uterus

Question 19

What is the link between FSH and IVF?

Answer 19

As FSH can also be used to encourage the production of several mature eggs at once, it is used as part of IVF to increase the number of eggs available for fertilisation

Question 20

Why do some people worry that IVF is ‘unethical’?

Answer 20

Concern that people involved may only want:

1. Fertilised eggs with ‘desirable’ characteristics (e.g. girl if lots of boys in family)
2. May wish to avoid producing a baby with an inherited defect (e.g. cystic fibrosis)