L16 - Parnutrition

Flashcards based on Professors Blanks lecture on the menstrual cycle and parnutrition in BS374

Menstrual Cycle

A regular cycle of hormonal changes in females, typically lasting about 28 days.

Oestrogen (Oestradiol)

A hormone produced by the ovary that regulates the menstrual cycle and prepares the uterine lining for pregnancy.

Progesterone

A hormone essential for maintaining the uterine lining after ovulation and preventing menstruation.

Ovulation

The release of an egg from the ovary, occurring around day 14 of the menstrual cycle.

Implantation

The process by which a blastocyst attaches to the uterine lining.

Human Chorionic Gonadotropin (HCG)

A hormone produced by the implanting blastocyst that signals the corpus luteum to continue progesterone production.

Luteolysis

The process of the corpus luteum collapsing, leading to reduced progesterone production and menstruation.

Luteoplacental Shift

The transition in pregnancy where the placenta takes over progesterone production from the corpus luteum.

Fetal-Maternal-Placental Axis

The interaction between the fetus, placenta, and the mother that regulates pregnancy and fetal development.

Parturition

The act of giving birth or the expulsion of the products of conception.

Oxytocin

A hormone that plays a key role in initiating and progressing labor by stimulating uterine contractions.

Positive Feedback Loop

A process in which the results of an action cause more of that action to occur, significant during labor.

Ferguson Reflex

A positive feedback loop triggered by cervical distention that increases oxytocin release and uterine contractions.

Prostaglandins

Hormones that help initiate labor and regulate uterine contractions.

Corticotropin-Releasing Hormone (CRH)

A hormone secreted by the fetal anterior pituitary that stimulates the fetal adrenal gland during pregnancy.

Braxton Hicks contractions

Practice contractions that can occur during the preparatory phase before actual labor.

Quiescence

The state of the uterus being inactive or at rest during most of the pregnancy.

Parturition Phase 1

Preparatory phase involving increased excitability of the uterus and rising hormone levels.

Parturition Phase 2

Active labor stage, characterized by strong contractions and cervical changes.

Parturition Phase 3

Post-delivery phase that involves strong uterine contractions to prevent postpartum hemorrhage.

Prostaglandin F2 alpha (PGF2α)

A prostaglandin that plays a critical role in labor onset by decreasing progesterone production.