Estrogen and progesterone

50,288views

00:00 / 00:00

High Yield Notes

21 pages

Flashcards

Estrogen and progesterone

of complete

Questions

USMLE® Step 1 style questions USMLE

of complete

Estrogen and progesterone are the female sex hormones and are produced mainly by the ovaries. Which of the following enzymes are involved in the conversion of testosterone to estradiol?  

External References

First Aid

2024

2023

2022

2021

Adrenal cortex p. 331

progesterone production p. 648

Childbirth

progesterone levels after p. 648

Corpus luteum p. 650

progesterone production p. 648

Endometrial hyperplasia p. 658

progesterone and p. 648

Estrogen p. 648, 674

progesterone and p. 648

Follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH)

progesterone and p. 648

Lactation p. 648

progesterone and p. 648

Luteinizing hormone (LH)

estrogen/progesterone p. 648

Ovulation p. 649

progesterone and p. 648

Placenta p. 635

progesterone production p. 648

Progesterone p. 648

ganulosa cell tumors p. 665

lactation and p. 648

menstrual cycle p. 650

ovulation p. 649

pregnancy p. 651

signaling pathways for p. 351

Testes p. 642

progesterone production p. 648

Transcript

Watch video only

Estrogen and progesterone are the female sex hormones, and they’re produced mainly by the ovaries - the female gonads.

The female body can synthesize 3 types of estrogens: estradiol, estrone and estriol.

Of the three, the ovaries synthesize estradiol, which is the most biologically active of them all, and accounts for the majority of sex-specific changes that begin in puberty - like monthly ovulation and menstruation as well as the development of the secondary sex characteristics.

Small amounts of estrogen are also produced by the adrenal cortex and fat cells in adipose tissue, and the placenta secretes these hormones during pregnancy, as well.

But during the reproductive period, it’s the ovaries that produce the majority of estrogen and progesterone in the female body.

Before puberty, the hypothalamus secretes small amounts of a hormone called gonadotropin-releasing hormone, or GnRH.

That GnRH travels to the nearby pituitary, which secretes two hormones of its own - follicle stimulating hormone, or FSH, and luteinizing hormone, or LH.

Once puberty hits, the hypothalamus starts to secrete GnRH in pulses, sometimes more and sometimes less, and FSH and LH make the ovarian follicles develop and secrete hormones.

The ovarian follicles are scattered throughout the ovaries, and each ovarian follicle is made up of a ring of follicular cells surrounding a primary oocyte at its core.

As the ovarian follicles develop, the follicular cells differentiate into theca cells and granulosa cells, which both play a role in the synthesis of progesterone and estrogen.

How much of these hormones is secreted is directly related to the phases of the female menstrual cycle.

The menstrual cycle lasts 28 days on average, and it’s centered around a surge of FSH and LH happening on day 14 - which makes ovulation possible.

Summary

Estrogen and progesterone are the Main sex female hormones produced by the ovaries during the reproductive period, and the placenta during pregnancy. Estrogen helps regulating female growth and development of the reproductive system, development of the endometrium, prevention of osteoporosis, and cardiovascular risk diseases in females.

Sources

  1. "Medical Physiology" Elsevier (2016)
  2. "Physiology" Elsevier (2017)
  3. "Human Anatomy & Physiology" Pearson (2018)
  4. "Principles of Anatomy and Physiology" Wiley (2014)
  5. "Biochemistry of aromatase: significance to female reproductive physiology" Cancer Res (1982)
  6. "Androgen production in women" Fertil Steril (2002)
  7. "Progesterone and Testosterone Hydroxylation by Cytochromes P450 2C19, 2C9, and 3A4 in Human Liver Microsomes" Archives of Biochemistry and Biophysics (1997)
Elsevier

Copyright © 2024 Elsevier, its licensors, and contributors. All rights are reserved, including those for text and data mining, AI training, and similar technologies.

Cookies are used by this site.

USMLE® is a joint program of the Federation of State Medical Boards (FSMB) and the National Board of Medical Examiners (NBME). COMLEX-USA® is a registered trademark of The National Board of Osteopathic Medical Examiners, Inc. NCLEX-RN® is a registered trademark of the National Council of State Boards of Nursing, Inc. Test names and other trademarks are the property of the respective trademark holders. None of the trademark holders are endorsed by nor affiliated with Osmosis or this website.

RELX