Biology: Hormones and the Menstrual Cycle.

HORMONES
FROM THE
PITUITARY
GLAND

HORMONES FROM
THE OVARIES

Oestrogen

Progesterone
BODY
TEMPERATURE

1. Study the graphs above. They show the levels of different hormones in the blood
during the menstrual cycle.

a. What is meant by ‘menstruation’?

b. What is meant by ‘ovulation’?

c. What is a hormone?

2. FSH (follicle stimulating hormone) and LH (luteinising hormone). These two

hormones are both secreted by the pituitary gland. The cycle starts when FSH
stimulates an ovum to develop inside the ovary.

a. Where is the pituitary gland?

b. What hormone does the ovary produce when FSH levels begin to build up?

c. What other effect does FSH have on the ovaries?

d. What happens to the temperature when ovulation takes place?

 e. What effects does oestrogen have on the uterus?

f. Why does it do this?

g. What effect does a high level of oestrogen have on the pituitary’s production
of FSH?

3. After ovulation the Graafian follicle that contained the ovum stays in the ovary and
forms a body called the ‘corpus luteum’ or yellow body. The corpus luteum starts to
produce progesterone.

a. From the graph, which hormone from the pituitary gland do you think causes
ovulation?

b. What effect does a high level of progesterone have on the pituitary’s

production of LH?

c. What effect does progesterone have on the uterus?

4. If no fertilisation occurs, the corpus luteum degenerates.

a. What effect does this have on the level of progesterone?

b. What happens when the levels of both oestrogen and progesterone are low?

c. What days would fertilisation be most likely to occur and why?

d. If fertilisation occurs, what happens to the levels of progesterone?

5. The ovaries start to produce oestrogen during puberty. What effects does this have
on a girl’s body?

6. a. Which hormone is responsible for a male’s secondary sexual

characteristics?

b. Where is it made?

c. What effects does it have during puberty?