Menstrual Cycle Worksheet

Directions – Answer the following questions using pages 516-519 of your textbook or the following website:
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh//amex/pill/sfeature/pop_cycle.html

1. What event is used to mark the start of the menstrual cycle?

2. Which hormones are released from the pituitary gland at the beginning of the cycle?

3. On what organ does FSH act?

4. Name 2 changes that occur in the ovaries as a result of rising FSH levels.

5. What does estrogen do to the lining of the uterus?

6. What signal in the blood reduces the production of FSH by the pituitary and limits the production of LH?

7. What signal later causes a rapid rise in the levels of FSH and LH?

8. When does ovulation usually occur?

9. What triggers ovulation?

10. After ovulation what happens to the ruptured follicle?

11. What causes this change?

12. What hormones are secreted by the corpus luteum?

13. What does the hormone progesterone do to the lining of the uterus?
14. What happens to the corpus luteum if the egg is not fertilized?

15. What triggers the start of menstruation if the egg is not fertilized?

16. When in the cycle would progesterone levels be highest?

17. What happens to the corpus luteum if the egg has been fertilized?

18. What would you predict about the level of progesterone in a pregnant woman?