THE MENSTRUAL CYCLE Flashcards
What is the criteria for which women get menstrual cycles?
post pubertal post menopausal without POF healthy weight not pregnant not breast feeding
what is POF?
primary ovarian insufficiency - when ovaries stop working before 40
describe the mechanism of gonadotropin releasing hormone?
released from the hypothalamus and it binds to GnRH 1 receptors which can then elicit downstream signalling in the target cell. acts on the anterior pituitary to cause hourly pulses to make LH and FSH
describe how LH interacts with a cell?
it binds to the LH receptor which is a glycoprotein receptor
describe how FSH interacts with a cell?
it dimerises and binds to the FSH receptor which is a glycoprotein receptor
what are the 4 classes of steroids?
how do they differ?
oestrogen
progestogens
corticosteroids
androgens
by the number of carbons
what are steroid’s biochemical pre-curser?
cholesterol (from acetate)
what are hormone’s activity regulated by?
receptor levels
hormone production rate
binding proteins
clearance rate of hormones
describe the formation of oocytes?
gametes enter the first meiotic stage
eggs reach the stage of diplotene where they form a germinal vesicle
oocytes rest and meiosis stops
meiosis restarts at puberty
what is a primordial follicle
a primary oocyte surrounded by a layer of granulose cells, mesenchymal cells and membrane propia
describe the steps of primary follicle formation?
the primordial follicle grows and matures in around 70 days to form a primary follicle.
what is a primary follicle?
a fully grown oocyte but its still arrested in meiosis
describe the steps of pre-antral follicle formation?
primary follicle develops and granulosa cells proliferate to form layers- the outer layer becomes theca cells and oocyte gains the zone pellucid
describe the follicular trickle?
if the pre-antral follicles are growing at a pace that matches FSH and LH secretion levels then the follicle can be rescued from atresia and undergo significant growth to the pre-ovulatory phase
describe folliculogenesis?
a cavity forms within the granulose cells called the antrum. the antrum expands the oocyte. the oocyte retains a tight linked layer of specialised granulosa cells called cumulus cells