Reproductive System Fundamentals Flashcards
What are the main Functions of the Gonads?
The production of gametes and reproductive hormones
What important Releasing Hormone does the Hypothalamus secrete in relation to Reproduction?
Gonadotrophin releasing hormone (GnRH)
Where does Gonadotrophin Releasing Hormone (GnRH) act?
The gonadotroph cells in the anterior pituitary
What are the Two Gonadotrophins that the Anterior Pituitary Gland Gonadotroph Cells make?
Follicle Stimulating Hormone (FSH) and Lutenising Hormone (LH)
Where do Follicle Stimulating Hormone (FSH) and Lutenising Hormone (LH) act?
On the gonads
When acted upon by FSH and LH, what do the Gonads produce?
Steroid reproductive hormones
What sort of Effect do the Steroid Reproductive Hormones produced by the Gonads have on the Anterior Pituitary and the Hypothalamus?
Negative feedback regulation
What are the main Male Steroid Hormones?
Testosterone and 5 α Dihydrotestosterone (5αDHT) which are Androgens
Do Males produce Androgens?
Yes
Do Females produce Androgens?
Yes (primarily testosterone to a lesser extent than males do)
What are the main Female Steroid Hormones?
Oestradiol, Oestrone and Oestriol (Oestrogens) and Progestagens
Do Females produce Oestrogens?
Yes
Do Males produce Oestrogens?
Yes (primarly oestrone to a lesser extent than females do)
Do Females produce Progestagens?
Yes
Do Males produce Progestagens?
No
What is Sex Determination?
The commitment of the bipotential gonad to a testis or an ovary
What is Sex Differentiation?
The phenotypic development of genital structures due to the action of hormones produced following gonadal development
In Mammals, how is Sex Determination usually Controlled?
Via the sex determining region on the Y chromosome (the SRY gene)
If the Y Chromosome and therefore the SRY Gene is Present, will the individual develop Testes (to become a Male) or Ovaries (to become a Female)?
Testes, eventually developing into a Male
If the Y Chromosome and therefore the SRY Gene is Absent, will the individual develop Testes (to become a Male) or Ovaries (to become a Female)?
Ovaries, eventually developing into a Female
The Two Duct Systems in the Undifferentiated Bipotential Gonad are called the ___ Duct and the ___ Duct
The Two Duct Systems in the Undifferentiated Bipotential Gonad are called the Mesonephric (Wolffian) Duct and the Paramesonephric (Mullerian) Duct
What is the Male Duct in the Undifferentiated Bipotential Gonad?
The mesonephric (wolffian) duct
What is the Female Duct in the Undifferentiated Bipotential Gonad?
The paramesonephric (Mullerian) duct
What Two Cell Types in the Testes release Hormones that eventually give rise to the Male Reproductive System from the Bipotential Gland?
Sertoli cells and Leydig cells
What Hormone do Sertoli Cells secrete during Fetal Development? What does this cause?
Anti-mullerian Hormone (AMH), causing mullerian duct regression
What Hormone do Leydig Cells secrete? What does this cause during Fetal Development?
Testosterone, causing wolffian duct development
What Hormones do the Ovaries secrete during Fetal Development?
Oestrogens and Progestagens
Are the Oestrogens and Progestagens directly acting upon the Mullerian and Wolffian ducts?
No, the Mullerian and Wolffian ducts develop and regress by themselves
In an Individual with XY Chromosomes, what would happen if their Androgen Receptors didn’t Function Correctly (Androgen Insensitivity Syndrome)?
The individual would have female genital ducts and/or external genitals, but would possess testes