Practical Applications of Physiology Flashcards
How did the ancient Egyptians detect pregnancy?
women who suspected they were pregnant would urinate on grain seeds (wheat and barely) every day for 10 days.
the rapid sprouting of these grains would indicate pregnancy. the sprouting wasnt caused by the hCG hormone but instead the elevated levels of estrogen. this was discovered as the pee on grain method still worked after the urine was boiled denaturing the hCG but not estrogen.
it was originally believed if the barley sprouted first you were having a boy and wheat meant girl.
What in the pregnant urine indicates pregnancy?
the presence of the hCG hormone.
What is hCG?
human chorionic gonadotropin.
a peptide hormone secreted by 6 day embryo (blastocyst) and placenta after implantation.
it was discovered in 1927.
what is a follicle?
a sac in the ovary that holds the egg
