Bio 3201 Unit 1B part 2

Chromosomal sex

The genetic sex of an individual determined by the combination of sex chromosomes (XY for males and XX for females).

Androgens

Male sex hormones responsible for the development of male sex organs and ducts in the fetus.

Gonadotropin releasing hormone (GnRH)

Hormone that stimulates the release of follicle stimulating hormone (FSH) and luteinizing hormone (LH) from the anterior pituitary.

Inhibin

Hormone that acts on the hypothalamus to slow down the production of release factors that trigger FSH secretion. It also acts on the anterior pituitary to inhibit the production of FSH.

Follicle stimulating hormone (FSH)

Hormone that increases sperm formation and stimulates the development of the sex organs in males. In females, FSH is responsible for the development of follicles into eggs and secretion of estrogen.

Luteinizing hormone (LH)

Hormone produced by the anterior pituitary that stimulates interstitial cells to produce testosterone in males and triggers the release of an ovum from the follicle in females.

Testosterone

Steroid hormone produced in the testes that is responsible for secondary sex characteristics in males and plays a role in the development of sex organs and sexual characteristics.

Estrogen

Female sex hormone produced by the follicles that is responsible for thickening of the endometrium and keeps FSH secretions down in females.

Progesterone

Sex hormone produced in females, first by the corpus luteum and the ovary to prepare the uterus for fertilization, and later by the placenta to maintain pregnancy.

Menstrual cycle

Cyclical pattern in which the endometrium thickens, prepares to receive a zygote, and sheds if fertilization does not occur.

Ovarian cycle

Cycle of events that takes place in the ovaries, controlled by estrogen and progesterone, and involves follicular stage, ovulation, and luteal stage.

Uterine cycle

Cycle of events that takes place in the uterus, controlled by estrogen and progesterone, and involves the buildup of blood vessels and tissues in the endometrium.

Menopause

The end of the menstrual cycle, characterized by the cessation of menstruation, caused by a decrease in functioning follicles and decline in estrogen and progesterone levels.

Menopause

The natural biological process in women that marks the end of their reproductive years, characterized by the cessation of menstruation and the decline in hormone production.

Average age of menopause

The typical age at which women in North America experience menopause, which is around 50 years old.

Early menopause

Menopause that occurs before the average age of menopause, typically before the age of 45.

Late menopause

Menopause that occurs after the average age of menopause, typically after the age of 55.

Reproductive years

The period in a woman's life when she is capable of conceiving and bearing children, which ends with the onset of menopause.