Repro Week 10 Flashcards
Define Puberty
The ability to successfully reproduce
Transition period that it takes a person from being a sexually immature child to a sexually mature reproductively fertile adult
What is the attainment of fertility in females?
Age of dependable ovulation where the females can support pregnancy without risky effects
What is the attainment of fertility in males?
When the ejaculate contains the right threshold number of spermatozoa
Explain the development of the hypothalamus before puberty?
In Males, the testosterone is able to cross the blood-barrier and is converted into estrogen through the enzyme aromatase, defeminizes the surge centre
In Females, estrogen cannot cross the blood-brain barrier since there is alpha fetoprotein preventing it from crossing, as a result the surge centre develops
Name the functions of Testosterone in
A) Primary sexual characteristics
B) Secondary sexual characteristics (8)
A) Penis, scrotum and testes, prostate gland, seminal vesicle, male genital ducts
B) Body and facial hair, Baldness, Voice (Hypertrophy of laryngeal mucosa and enlargement of larynx), Skin (Increased thickness), Muscle Formation and Development Bone mass increased, Increased basal metabolism, Increased sex drive and aggressiveness
Name the functions of Oestrogen in
A) Primary sexual characteristics
B) Secondary sexual characteristics
A) Vagina, uterus, oviducts and external genitalia enlargement, uterus and oviducts exhibits enchanced motility, Vaginal mucosa thickens, stimulates watery cervical mucus
B) Breast development, widening of the pelvis, deposition of fat in the breast, hips, increased HDL and decreased LDL, skin is smooth
What causes the tonic centre to lose sensitivity to negative feedback?
1) Pregnancy and lactation exert a high metabolic cost
2) Certain degree of fat reserves are needed to initiate reproductive process
3) Certain body size or condition
4) Concentrations of glucose, leptin and fatty acids in blood can triggered the production of GnRH
