Pregnancy Flashcards
Which hormone is produced throughout pregnancy, regulates levels of progesterone and prepares the uterus and prepares the breasts for lactation?
oestrogen
What is oestrogen supplied by through the duration of pregnancy?
the corpus luteum- first two months
placenta- after the first two months
Which hormone prevents miscarriage, inhibiting uterine contractility and increases throughout pregnancy?
progesterone
What is the pregnancy test hormone?
human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG)
Which hormone stimulates the ovary to produce oestrogen and progesterone and declines when the placenta takes over production?
human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG)
Which hormone is high in early pregnancy, produced by the ovary and placenta, helps limit uterine activity , softens the cerix and is involved in cervical ripening for delivery?
relaxin
Which hormone is responsible for uterine contractions during labour?
oxytocin
What can be used to induce labour?
synthetic prostaglandins
How long does a normal pregnancy last, counting from the 1st day of the last menstrual cycle?
40 weeks
What ruptures when the ‘water breaks’?
the amniotic sac
What is the maximun diameter of the cervix?
10cm
What are the phases of labour?
latent phase- little cervical dilation
active phase- organised uterine contractions and dilation
What is cervical ripening?
growth and remodelling of the cervix prior to labour. Emzymatically mediated breakdown of collagen fibres
What are the three layers of the uterine wall?
endometrium
myometrum
perimetrium
The presence of which gene causes the bipotential gonad to differentiate into the male reproductive organs?
SRY
