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All 13 Flashcards — Menstrual cycle and hormonal control
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Question
How long is a typical menstrual cycle?
Answer
About **28 days**.
Question
Which two menstrual hormones come from the pituitary gland?
Answer
**FSH** and **LH**.
Question
Which two menstrual hormones come from the ovary?
Answer
**Oestrogen** (from the follicle) and **progesterone** (from the corpus luteum).
Question
What is the role of FSH?
Answer
It **stimulates a follicle in the ovary to grow** and mature.
Question
What is the role of oestrogen?
Answer
It **repairs and thickens the uterus lining**, and when high it **triggers the LH surge**.
Question
What causes ovulation, and when?
Answer
A sharp **LH surge** from the pituitary, around **day 14**.
Question
What is the corpus luteum?
Answer
What the **empty follicle becomes** after ovulation; it secretes **progesterone**.
Question
What are the roles of progesterone?
Answer
It **maintains the thick uterus lining** and **inhibits FSH and LH** (negative feedback).
Question
What happens at the end of the cycle if there is no pregnancy?
Answer
**Progesterone falls**, the lining breaks down (**menstruation**), and a new cycle begins.
Question
Give an example of positive feedback in the cycle.
Answer
**High oestrogen stimulates the LH surge** — a high level causes a bigger release.
Question
Give an example of negative feedback in the cycle.
Answer
**Oestrogen and progesterone inhibit FSH and LH**, stopping extra follicles ripening.
Question
On a hormone graph, what does a tall narrow LH spike around day 14 show?
Answer
**Ovulation** — the LH surge triggers the release of the egg.
Question
Which hormone maintains the uterus lining in the second half of the cycle?
Answer
**Progesterone**, made by the corpus luteum.
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