Inquiry Activity: Understanding the Female Cycle Essential Question: How does the secretion of female sex hormones follow a cyclical pater that dictates predictable changes in the body over an average one month period? Directions: Read each passage and analyze eack model before atempting to answer the questions within your ‘group. Make sure to work through each section in order and to not skip ahead, as the content will build upon self READ: The male and female reproductive systems are designed to produce viable offspring. This is accomplished by the production land secretion of eitcal sex hormones and sex cells (gametes) in the gonads, Males produce sperm in their testes. As these sperm travel through the male duct system, they mature and develop so that they are ready to fertilize an egg, if they come into contact, ‘with one after copulation. Females produce ooeytes, or immature ‘eggs, in their ovaries, Males produce approximately 1,500 sperm per second, while females release only 1 oocyte a month during ovulation, This cyclic proces is influenced by two hormones — the luteinizing hormone (LH) and follcle-stimulating hormone (FSH. These hormones are gonadotropins, secreted at fluctuating levels by the anterior pituitary gland into the blood in order to regulate the ovarian cycle. 1. Use the data in Model I to make a graph on the top ofthe next page to show how the levels of FSH and LH change over an average 28-day cycle. Make sure to include all appropriate parts jn the graph, 2. Referto your graph. What happens tothe levels of FSH ‘throughout the 28 days? 3. Refer to your graph. What happens to the levels of LH throughout the 28 days? 44. Refer to your graph. Describe the overall pattem between the levels ofthe two hormones. Specifically note the timing ofthe peak levels in each.‘Model 2 - Follicle Development 12 10. nL 12 245 Model 2 shows the changes in an ovarian follicle over an averige 28-day cycle, Note the numbering of the days along the bottom of the model. The firs five days have already been numbered. Complete the ‘numbering through day 28 on Model 2 Day 1 shows a primary follicle. Label this above it on Model 2. Refer tothe graph you made for Model 1. On what day does the level of FSH initially dip? ‘The primary follicle i one of many follicles growing in the ovary during this time, but the only one that will eventually outcompete the others for FSH when the levels drop onthe day you selected in #7. At this time, it becomes the dominant follicle. Label the appropriate folicle pictured in Model 2 as the dominant follicle ‘The dominant follicle will be the only one that continues to mature, fully completing its first meiotic division and becoming a secondary ooeyte asa result ofthe surge in LH that happens around ths time. Refer tothe graph you made for Model 1. On what day docs this happen’ ‘The LH surge causes a quick cascade of events that i followed by ovulatios ‘oocyte from the follicle. Based on Model 2, when does this occur? ‘The days that lead upto ovulation are considered the follicular phase, characterized by the maturation of the dominant follicle and its oocyte. The days following ovulation axe considered the luteal phase, Label ovulation and these two phases on Model 2, in the space beneath i. ‘The luteal phase is characterized by the development of the corpus luteum, This structure forms from the remains ofthe erupted follicle, and secretes high levels of progesterone throughout the rest of the ‘month to prepare the body for pregnancy if fertilization ofthe ovulated oocyte by a sperm occurs. Ifit doesn't, the corpus luteum will start to degenerate and hormonal secretion will end. Based on Model 2, about how many days after ovulation will the corpus luteum start to degenerate?‘Model 3 - Estrogen and Progesterone Day | Estrogen Progesterone osm perm | lnteoermt | READ: The development of the foliicle and release of its oocyte 1 2 oe during ovulation occurs inthe ovaries, and this entre process is 2 | 0 03, ‘known as the ovarian cycle, depicted in Models | and 2. The 3] 2 1 order of this eycle and the pattems pictured sbove are consistent «| 7 1 ach month, but the actual number of days ean vary because not ai every female has 28-day cycle. However, variations nly occur | |——|—"> - inthe length of the follicular phase, which wil i trm affect the length ofthe overall cycle. ‘The luteal phaseis always the 14 days | |? | 120 ie after ovulation. The secretion ofthe gonadoiropin hormones FSH | [8 [10 12 and LH influence the production and secretion of the female sex 9 [100 13 hormones estrogen and progesterone, whichin tum feedback and | |~jo~| —ao0 ey influence the production of FSH and LH. + + 12 |_200 16 13, Use the data in Model 3 to make a grapa beneath your graph [13 | 220 13 from Model 1. This wil allow you to stow how the levels of [va] 200 2 cetrogen and progesterone change overan average 28-day spe as cycle. Make sue to inch all appropriate pars in the graph |-¢—]— 55 a and to use the same scale onthe X-axis 3s you did forthe ‘raph of Model | so that you can compare the two graphs to [7 | 120 se cach other. 1e_| 100 33 14, Refer to your graph. What happens tthe levels of estrogen | 29 | ao a throughout the 28 days? hs fe als 18) [= 103 | s 72 15, Refer to Model 2and your graph for Model 3. During which [“as~[ 20 i phase of the ovarian cyeleis the level af esirogen the highest? 2, —ap A What does this suggest that estrogen piys roe in? als aa =f 08 16. On what day does the level of estrogen peak? Wht other hormone peaks on this day? 17. Referto your graph. What happens tothe levels of progesterone throughout the 28 days? 18. Refer to Model 2.and your graph for Model 3. During which phase of the ovarian cycle i the level of progesterone the highest? What does this suggest that progesterone plays a role int19, Refer to your graph. Describe the overall pattem between the levels ofthe two hormones, Specifically cof the peak levels in each, note the tim READ: This fuctuaton in hormone levels doesn’t only impact the development of the follicle inthe ovarian cyte. Italso impacts the evelopment ofthe endometrial Lining of the uterus in a similarly «cial patter, known asthe uterine ecle. The endometrium isthe innermost layer ofthe wens. Changes inthe endometrium during te uterine cycle correspond with changes tothe developing folicles in the ovaries during the ovarian cycle. ‘Model 4 - Uterine Cycle 20. The endometrium has two layers. What are they? 21. Whlen layer seems to change throughout ine month-long cycle?” What pattern do you see in how it changes? 22: Refer to Model 4 and the previous models. Which hormone do you think most impact the fluctuations inthe endometrium? Justify your answer with reasoning, citing evidence from the models zpecifically. 23. Notice in Model 4 the additional “layer” a the beginning of the cycle. This repretents the part of the ‘endometrium that is shed during monthly menstruation, elso known as the “menstrual flow”. Label ‘on Model 4,