Reproductive Physiology Flashcards
Name the female reproductive hormones.
- gonadotrophin releasing hormone (GnRH)
- follicle stimulating hormone (FSH)
- leutenising hormone (LH)
- oestrogen
- progesterone
- testosterone
Where is GnRH released from and where does it act?
- released from hypothalamus
- acts on anterior pituitary
Which hormones are produced from the anterior pituitary for reproduction?
- FSH
- LH
True or False.
Oestrogen and progesterone exert positive feedback on the anterior pituitary and hypothalamus.
False
- they exert negative feedback
Which hormone exerts positive feedback during days 12-14 of a 28 day menstrual cycle?
- oestrogen
Name the two phases of the ovarian cycle.
- follicular
- luteal
What happens during the follicular phase of ovulation?
- FSH and LH initiate the growth of new follicles
Which hormone dominates the follicular phase of ovulation and why?
- oestrogen
- it is released by the developing follicle
What happens during the luteal phase of ovulation?
- maturation of the corpus luteum
Which hormone dominates the luteal phase of ovulation and why?
- progesterone
- it is released from the corpus luteum
If fertilisation does not occur what happens to the corpus luteum?
- it degenerates to the corpus albicans and stops secreting progesterone
- this allows a new cycle to take place
Name the four phases of menstruation.
- menstrual
- proliferative
- secretory
- pre-menstrual
Describe the menstrual phase of menstruation.
- the uterine lining is shed due to no pregnancy taking place
Describe the proliferative phase of menstruation.
- oestrogen produced from the developing follicle causes the lining of the uterus to become dense and richly vascular
Describe the secretory phase of menstruation.
- progesterone secreted by the corpus luteum stimulates further build up of cells in endometrium
- and also release of secretions from the uterine glands to maintain the thickening
Describe the pre-menstrual phase of menstruation.
- when fertilisation has not taken place and hormone levels decrease
What is an oogonium?
- stem cells in the ovaries
How many primary oocytes in one group can grow to complete the first meiotic division?
- one
When does the second meiotic division in females complete?
- only when the secondary oocyte is fertilised
Name the male reproductive hormones.
- gonadotrophin releasing hormone (GnRH)
- follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH)
- lutenising hormone (LH)
- testosterone
Where are sperm produced?
- spermatogonia within seminiferous tubules within the testis
Name the two types of cells within the seminiferous tubules.
- sertoli cell
- spermatogonia
List the functions of the sertoli cells.
- provide nutrients
- phagocytose excess spermatid cytoplasm
- form blood-testis barrier
Which hormone controls the spermatogonia?
- FSH
Which cells produce testosterone?
- Leydig cells
Which hormone controls the leydig cells?
- LH
Where do the secretions that combine with sperm to form semen come from?
- seminal vesicles
- prostate gland
- bulbourethral gland
Why is it important to have blood-testis barrier?
- as sperm are haploid, there is a risk of an immune response as they won’t be recognised by lymphocytes
Why is the storage function of the epididymis important?
- sperm require an adequate amount of storage time within the epididymis to become motile
What is the ideal temperature for spermatogenesis?
- 32 degrees Celsius
Apart from location, how does the body maintain the temperature of the testis?
- counter-current heat exchange, where arterial blood is cooled by venous blood
