Human Reproductive Hormones - Interdisciplinary Elective 1 Reviewer

# Interdisciplinary Elective 1 Reviewer (Midterm) ## A.) Human Reproductive Hormones ### Pituitary Gland - Produces, stores and stimulates other reproductive hormones such as: - Human Chorionic Gonadotropin (HcG) - Prolactin - Luteinizing Hormone (LH) - Follicle-Stimulating Hormone...

# Interdisciplinary Elective 1 Reviewer (Midterm) ## A.) Human Reproductive Hormones ### Pituitary Gland - Produces, stores and stimulates other reproductive hormones such as: - Human Chorionic Gonadotropin (HcG) - Prolactin - Luteinizing Hormone (LH) - Follicle-Stimulating Hormone (FSH) ### Anti-Mullerian Hormone AMH - The gatekeeper for fertility and reproductive development. - If the fetus has XY (male) chromosomes, the testes will produce AMH and the Müllerian ducts will disappear. ### Androgen - Male sex hormone, defined as a substance capable of developing and maintaining masculine characteristics in reproductive tissues. - Dihydrotestosterone is an androgen that triggers the development of male characteristics. - Initiates the start of puberty in boys. - Causes the growth of public and body hair. ### Estrogen - Growth and reproductive development in a woman. - Fat tissue and the adrenal glands. - **Ovaries (produce eggs)** is the main source of estrogen from the body. - **Symptoms of low estrogen include:** - Menstrual periods that are less frequent or that stop. Mood swings, low sexual desire, and dryness of the vagina. - Men: can cause excess belly fat and sexual desire. - **Excess Estrogen include:** - Weight Gain, Period Problems, Enlarge breast, Infertility. ### Estradiol - Oestradiol (E2) is the strongest of the three estrogens. - Important player in the female reproductive system. - Main function is to mature and then maintain the reproductive system. Increased estradiol levels cause the maturation and release of the eggs. ### Estrone - An estrogen like estradiol and estriol. - Responsible for female sexual development and function. ### Progesterone - Steroid hormone belonging to a class of hormones. It prepares the endometrium for the potential of pregnancy after ovulation. ### Progestins - Synthetic steroid hormones with progesterone-like properties. - **Signs of low progesterone include:** - Abnormal uterine bleeding. - Irregular or missed periods. - Spotting and frequent miscarriages. ### Relaxin - Hormone secreted in the ovary by the corpus luteum. - It increased after ovulation during the second half of a woman's menstrual cycle. ### Testosterone - Main sex hormone found in men. - Growth of the penis and testes. - **Low Testosterone include:** - Drop in sex drive, poor erections, low sperm count, and enlarged or tender breasts. ## B. Reproductive System - To produce the sperm and egg cells that allow us to reproduce. - To transport and sustain these cells. - To nurture the developing offspring and to produce hormones. ### Penis - Made up of shaft, glans, and foreskin. - Allows passage of urine and semen. - The average measures 3-4 inches when it's not erect (flaccid) and 5-7 inches when erect. ### Foreskin - Protects the glans of the penis. ### Scrotum - Holds testes. - Controls temperature. ### Testes - Also called testicles - Produces sperm and sex hormones. - Each is made of 500 - 1,200 feet of tightly coiled tubes. ### Epididymis - Allows maturation of sperm. ### Spermatozoa - Cell from a man called sperm. - Carry the strings of genes (called chromosomes). ### Spermatic Cords - Suspends and supplies blood to the testicles. - Carry sperm from testicles. ### Vas Deferens - Provides storage for sperm. - Allows passage of sperm. - Carries sperm from testes. ### Seminal Vesicles - Contributes fructose (sugar) to semen for nourishing the sperm. ### Semen - Helps sperm live longer and travel better. - About a teaspoon per ejaculation. ### Prostate Gland - Produces most of the fluid that makes up semen. ### Cowper's Gland - Pair of glands that produce pre-ejaculatory fluid (called pre-cum). ## C. Female Reproductive Cycles - Puberty (11-14 years) until Menopause (40-45 years). - Include the ovarian cycle and the uterine (endometrial, mens) cycle. ### The Ovarian Cycle - Occurs in the cortex of the ovary. - It has three phases: - **Follicular phase (first half of the cycle).** - Entails maturation of the ovarian follicle and secretion of estrogen. - **Ovulation (about the middle of the cycle)** - Process of rupture of the Graafian follicle and release the mature ovum from the ovary. - **Luteal phase (second half of the cycle).** - Promotes the development of the corpus luteum which chiefly secretes progesterone. ### Uterine - Occurs in the endometrium of the uterus. - It has four phases: - **Menstrual** - The endometrium is about 0.5 mm. Average duration of mens is 3-5 days. - **Regenerative Phase** - The epithelium reaches a thickness of 2mm and is flat. Endometrial glands are straight and narrow. - **Proliferative** - Occurs from the seventh to the fifteenth day of the cycle. Endometrium proliferates and increases in thickness (4mm). - **Secretory** - Occurs from the 16th to 28th day of the cycle. The endometrium is thick. (10mm). ## D. Gender Identity and Sexual Differentiation ### Sex - Biological features of our bodies. ### Gender - Person's relation to their society's understanding of gendered groups. ### Gender Identity - How you experience your own gender. Defined as a personal and internal sense of oneself as a male, female or other. ### Gender Binary - A belief that most societies have expectations and stereotypes about gender based on someone's assigned sex. Like expecting males to be tough and females to be gentle. ### Gender Dysphoria - People who don't fit the gender binary but feel pressure to follow it. It is an extreme form of distress. ### Gender Expression - The way in which an individual publicly expresses their gender. ### Gender Role - Determined by a culture or community. ## C. Puberty - Process of physical maturation where an adolescent reaches sexual maturity and becomes capable of reproduction. - Typically begins between 8 and 13 in females. 9 to 14 in males. ### Tanner Stages - Female Development ### Thelarche - Refers to breast growth. - Typically the first sign of puberty in girls, occurring around 9 or 10. - Estrogen causes the lactiferous duct system to develop. ### Pubarch - Six months after thelarche began. - Pubarche or growth pubic hair. ### Menarch - Is the female's first menstrual period. - It occurs 1.5 to 3 years after thelarche at approximately 12.8 years of age. ### Ovarian Development - Produce estradiol. - Responsible for developing secondary sexual characteristics such as thelarche. ### Tanner Stages - Male Development ### Testicular Size - Increase in testicular size is typically the first sign of puberty in boys. ### Pubarche - Growth of pubic hair at the penile base. - Occurs alongside testicular development. ### Penis Size - Growth of the penis occurs after testicular enlargement. ### Growth Spurt - Results from interaction between sex steroids. ### Adrenarche - Increased secretion of adrenal androgen precursors dehydroepiandrosterone. (DHEA) occurs around the ages of 6-8 years. ### Adult Production - Male has reproductive organs, or genitals, that are both inside and outside of the pelvis. While the female has reproductive organs entirely within the pelvis. ## Male Reproductive System; - Consists of the testes and a series of ducts and glands. Sperm cells are produced in the testes and are transported through the reproductive ducts. - Reproductive ducts include; Epididymis, vas deferens, ejaculatory duct and urethra. - These glands include; Seminal vesicles, prostate gland, and bulbourethral glands. ## Female Reproductive System; - Two kinds of gametes are involved; The male gamete (sperm) & The female gamete (egg or ovum). - Located on each side of the upper pelvic cavity. ## D. Gametes and Fertilization; ### Meiosis - Sexual reproduction in human requires that diploid individual cells produce haploid cells that can fuse during fertilization to form diploid offspring. - Process that results in haploid cells. - Series of events that arrange and separate chromosomes. - During the interphase of meiosis, each chromosome is duplicated. - The cells that are produced by meiosis are genetically unique. ### Fertilization - The union of two haploid cells typically from two individual organisms. - Karyotype - systematic arrangement of images of chromosomes into homologous pairs. - **Meiosis I** - the first round of meiotic cell division; referred to as reduction division because the resulting cells are haploid. - **Meiosis II** - the second round of meiotic cell division following meiosis I; sister chromatids are separated from each other, and the result is four unique haploid cells. ### Oogenesis - The process of producing haploid eggs ### Reduction division - A nuclear division that produces daughter nuclei each having one-half as many chromosome sets as the parental nucleus; meiosis I is a reduction division. ### Somatic cell - All the cells of a multicellular organism except the gamete-forming cells. ### Spermatogenesis - The process of producing haploid sperm. ## E. Pregnancy ### How does pregnancy happen? - **Sperm transport** - The sperm must be deposited and transported to the site of fertilization - **Egg transport** - Ovulation must occur and the egg must be "picked up" by the tube - **Fertilization and embryo development** - Union between the sperm and egg must result - **Implantation** - The embryo must implant and begin to grow in the uterus. ### Stages of Fetal Development; 1. **Germinal Stage** - The shortest stage of fetal development. It begins at conception when a sperm and egg join in the fallopian tube. 2. **Embryonic Stage** - lasts from about the third week of pregnancy until the eighth week of pregnancy. The blastocyst begins to take on distinct human characteristics. It's now called an embryo. 3. **Fetal Stage** - begins around the ninth week and lasts until birth. This is when the embryo officially turns into a fetus. - A full-term pregnancy is 40 weeks, or 280 days (some are shorter and some longer) for either nine months or 10 months. This is completely normal and healthy. ### Consequences of Pregnancy; - **Ectopic Pregnancy** - Egg is normally fertilized in the fallopian tube. Fertilized egg never reached the uterus. Symptoms: Vaginal bleeding and cramping - **Preeclampsia** - increased blood pressure accompanied by proteinuria. 20th week or first week after delivery .Common to first time mother or those carrying more than one fetus, girls aged 15 and younger or females over 35 years of age. - **Gestational Diabetes** - 1 to 3% of woman develops diabetes during pregnancy. Can result to death of fetus. Common among obese women and some ethnic group - **Rh Incompatibility** - Occurs when pregnant woman has Rh negative blood while the fetus has Rh positive blood type. - **Problems with Amniotic Fluid** - Too much amniotic fluid in the amniotic sac stretches the uterus and put pressure on the diaphragm of a pregnant woman. May result to breathing problem and preterm labor. ### Prenatal genetic testing - Gives parents information about genetic disorders or birth abnormalities the fetus may have. ### Different Kinds of Prenatal Tests; 1. **Screening Tests** - Can identify whether the baby is more or less likely to have certain birth defects, many of which are genetic disorders. - These tests include blood tests, a specific type of ultrasound and prenatal cell-free DNA screening. - Prenatal screening tests are usually offered during the first or second trimester. 2. **Diagnostic tests** - Way to be sure of a diagnosis. - Such as chorionic villus sampling and amniocentesis, carry a slight risk of miscarriage. ### Prenatal Diagnosis - Means diagnosis before birth. It's a way for a doctor to see if the developing baby has a problem. ### Ultrasound Examination - A non-invasive imaging study. Used to identify the gestational age of the fetus and whether the level of growth is appropriate, assess the number of babies in the pregnancy. ### Fetal MRI - (magnetic resonance imaging) is another imaging test that offers physicians information about anatomic structures. Provide additional information regarding the fetal brain that can not be obtained from ultrasound. ### Fetal echocardiogram - Is an ultrasound specifically looking at the unborn baby's heart structure and function. ### Amniocentesis - Is a prenatal test that allows information about the baby to be obtained from the amniotic fluid. ### Chorionic villus sampling - Is a prenatal test small amount of tissue from the placenta is removed and sent to the lab for evaluation of chromosomes. ### Fetal blood sampling (cordocentesis) - Can be performed in rare situations where fetal blood is required to evaluate the fetus.