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Reproductive Hormones
Understanding the chemical messages of your body—the female sex hormones and their function in reproduction:
GnRH
- Released by the hypothalamus, it stimulates the release of FSH and LH (gonadotropins)
- During the first half of the woman’s menstrual cycle, it stimulates the release of FSH from the pituitary gland
- During the second half of the cycle it stimulates the release of LH
FSH- Follicle Stimulating Hormone
- Hormone produced by the Pituitary Gland
- Stimulates the growth of follicles (the fluid filled sacs in the ovaries that house the developing egg)
LH- Lutenizing Hormone
- Produced by the Pituitary Gland
- Stimulates the follicle to release the egg and the testes to release sperm
- During the menstrual cycle it stimulates the endometrium (the lining of the uterus), to grow and thicken
- Its presence causes cervical mucous to become thin, clear and watery at the time of ovulation so sperm can travel to the uterine cavity
Progesterone
- Prepares the uterine lining to receive a fertilized egg
- If implantation does not occur, production of progesterone falls, triggering menstruation