Physiology and Health

Question 1

Where are gametes produced from and by what?

Answer 1

From germ line cells by meiosis

Question 2

Where is sperm produced?

Answer 2

In the seminiferous tubules in the testes

Question 3

What do seminiferous tubules unite together to form and what do they link to?

Answer 3

Coiled tubes to the sperm duct

Question 4

What the sperm from the testes leave through?

Answer 4

The sperm duct

Question 5

What produces testosterone and where is it found?

Answer 5

Interstitial cels found in the tissue between the seminiferous tubules

Question 6

What does testosterone pass directly into?

Answer 6

The bloodstream

Question 7

What are sperm and what do they require?

Answer 7

Motile
A fluid to swim in and a source of energy

Question 8

What secretes the fluid that maintains the mobility and viability of the sperm?

Answer 8

The prostate gland and seminal vesicles

Question 9

What is ova and where are they produced?

Answer 9

The female gametes and they are produced in the ovaries

Question 10

What are ova formed from?

Answer 10

Germline cells in the ovaries

Question 11

What do the ovaries contain?

Answer 11

Immature ova in various stages of development

Question 12

What is each ova surrounded by and what does it do?

Answer 12

Surrounded by a follicle, which protects the developing ovum and secretes hormones

Question 13

What is fertilisation?

Answer 13

When he ulcers of the sperm cell fuses with the nucleus of an ovum

Question 14

A mature ovum Reese’s from a follicle into what?

Answer 14

The oviduct

Question 15

What is the pathway of sperm during sexual intercourse?

Answer 15

The sperm is released into the vagina and moves through the cervix, the uterus and into the oviducts where they may meet an ovum

Question 16

Where may a mature ovum be fertilised and by what?

Answer 16

In the oviduct by a sperm

Question 17

What is a fertilised ovum called?

Answer 17

A zygote

Question 18

What is a hormone?

Answer 18

A chemical messenger that is produced at one site and has its effect at another site

Question 19

What produced hormones and where are they secreted?

Answer 19

By endocrine glands and directly into the bloodstream

Question 20

What happened when a hormone reaches a target tissue?

Answer 20

It brings about a specific effect

Question 21

What do hormones control (specifically reproduction)?

Answer 21

The onset of puberty, sperm production and the menstrual cycle

Question 22

What happens at puberty with the hypothalamus?

Answer 22

It secretes a released hormone whose target is the pituitary gland

Question 23

What is the pituitary gland stimulated to releases (in males)?

Answer 23

FSH (follicle-stimulating hormone)
ICSH (interstitial cell-stimulating hormone)

Question 24

What is the pituitary gland stimulated to release (in females)?

Answer 24

FSH (follicle-stimulating hormone)
LH (luteinising hormone)

Question 25

As well as triggering the on set of puberty what does the release of these hormones trigger (in males)?

Answer 25

Sperm production

Question 26

As well as triggering the on set of puberty what does the release of these hormones trigger (in females)?

Answer 26

Menstrual cycle

Question 27

What happens when FSH arrives in the bloodstream at the testes?

Answer 27

Promotes sperm production in the seminiferous tubules

Question 28

What happens when ICSH arrives in the bloodstream at the testes?

Answer 28

Stimulates the interstitial cells to produce the male sex hormone testosterone

Question 29

What does testosterone also do and what does it activate?

Answer 29

Sperm production The prostate gland and seminal vesicles to produce their secretion

Question 30

Describe the self-regulation of testosterone production

Answer 30

As the concentration of testosterone builds up in the bloodstream, it reaches a level where it inhibit the secretion of FSH and ICSH by the pituitary gland. This leads to a decrease in testosterone concentration, which then triggers the pituitary gland to again make FSH and ICSH

Question 31

Approximately how long is the menstrual cycle and what is regarded as the day one of the cycle?

Answer 31

28 days and the first day of menstruation

Question 32

What is menstruation indicated by?

Answer 32

Blood flow

Question 33

What happens when FSH arrives in the bloodstream at the ovaries

Answer 33

Stimulates the development of the follicle and the production of oestrogen by the follicle in the follicular phase

Question 34

What happens during the follicular phase (specifically when the follicle secretes oestrogen)?

Answer 34

Stimulates proliferation (cell division) of the endometrium (inner layer of the uterus) preparing it for implantation, affects the consistency of the cervical mucus making it more easily penetrated by the sperm and peak levels of oestrogen stimulates a surge in the secretion of LH (which triggers ovulation)

Question 35

What happens when LH arrives in the bloodstream at the ovaries?

Answer 35

It triggers ovulations at approximately 14 days, the follicle development into a corpus luteum and and the corpus luteum secretes the sex hormone progesterone

Question 36

What happens when the corpus luteum secretes progesterone?

Answer 36

It promotes the further development and vascularisation of the endometrium into a spongy layer rich in blood vessels, preparing it for implantation if fertilisation occurs and inhibits the secretion of FSH and LH by the pituitary gland, preventing further follicles from developing

Question 37

What happens if fertilisation has not occurred?

Answer 37

-the drop of LH leads to the degeneration of the corpus luteum by approximately “Day 22” -the drop of LH, is followed by a rapid drop in progesterone and oestrogen -by approximately “Day 28”, these ovarian hormones are at such a low level that the endometrium can no longer be maintained, and menstruation begins -menstruation lasts a few days

Question 38

What happens if fertilisations does occur?

Answer 38

The corpus luteum doesn’t degenerate and progesterone levels remain high

Question 39

What kind of fertility do men have?

Answer 39

Men are continuously fertile as they continuously produce sperm in their testes

Question 40

What kind of fertility do women have?

Answer 40

Women have cyclical fertility as they are only fertile for a few days

Question 41

What do the pituitary and ovarian hormones cause?

Answer 41

A small period of fertility, which only lasts for a few days (after ovulation) during each menstrual cycle

Question 42

What can the calculation of the female fertile period be indicated by?

Answer 42

-increase in body temperature -after ovulation, the women’s body temperature rises by around 0.5 degrees, temperature remains elevated for the duration of the luteal phase -change in the cervical mucus -after ovulation, the cervical mucus becomes thin and watery to allow sperm easier access to the oviduct -when the cervical mucus increases in viscosity (due to progesterone), it indicates that the fertile period is over

Question 43

Why may a women fail to ovulate?

Answer 43

Underlying factors, e.g. failure of the pituitary gland to secrete FSH or LH

Question 44

How can ovulation be stimulated?

Answer 44

-drugs that mimic the normal action of FSH and LH -drugs tat present negative feedback of oestrogen on FSH secretion during the luteal phase

Question 45

What cause ‘super ovulation’ and what can it lead to?

Answer 45

Ovulate ray drugs which mimics the action of FSH and LH Multiple births (e.g. twins, triplets)

Question 46

What can the drug that causes ‘super ovulation’ promote and what can it be used for?

Answer 46

Promote the release of many ova, they can be collected for use in in vitro fertilisation (IVF) programmes