HORMONES ASSOCIATED WITH FEMALE REPRODUCTION
There are two different types of hormones that are responsible for female reproduction:
A. Steroid hormone
1. Estrogens: 18-carbon steroid hormone. Its functions are as follows:
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Development of secondary sex characteristics during puberty.
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Increase responsiveness to FSH
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Promote the growth in ovarian follicles
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Stimulates the production of receptors for FSH, LH and progesterone.
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During pregnancy, it s responsible for the enormous growth of uterus and also it stimulates oxytocin receptors.
2. Progesterone: 21-carbon steroid hormone. It is the principle hormone of corpus luteum. Its functions are as below:
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Promotes the formation of deciduas and placenta
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Reduces the contraction of uterus muscles during pregnancy
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It also suppresses ovulation and menstruation during pregnancy.
3. Androgens: synthesized by ovary. Its functions are as follows:
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Develop secondary sex characteristics in female.
B. Non-steroid hormone
1. Relaxin: a poly peptide hormone, produced by corpus luteum, placenta and uterine endometrium. Its functions:
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Loosening of pubic symphysis and sacroiliac joints
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It softens the cervix during delivery
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Inhibit uterine contraction during pregnancy
2. Inhibin: produced by the granulosa cells of Graafian follicles. It is also known as folliculostatin. It plays an important role in the inhibition of FSH by negative feedback mechanism.
REFERENCE:
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