The Feedback Mechanisms

Involve in Regulating
Processes in the Female
Reproductive System
Describe the feedback mechanisms
involve in regulating processes in
the female reproductive system.
Feedback Mechanism in Males
 Menstruation is one of the normal changes
that takes place in girls as they go through
puberty.
What is the It is a very clear sign that a girl is growing
most into a woman.

common Once a girl begins menstruating, she

knows that her body is prepared to have a
change that baby at some time in the future if she
decides to have children.
take place
in girls as Her body is capable of becoming pregnant.

they go Of course, it is very important that she waits

until she is an adult, has accomplished her goals
through for her education, and is ready to accept the
life-long responsibility for raising a child.
puberty? For most people in our society, this is
within marriage.
 • For most women, the average
menstrual cycle is every 28 days.
How to • However, cycles can be shorter or
longer, such as anywhere between 24
Calculate and 35 days, and those are considered
normal as well.
Menstrual • Learning how to calculate menstrual
Cycle cycle is something that most women
will find very handy as they go through
life—after all, the average woman will
experience about 480-500 periods in
their lifetime.
 • When you begin your period, write
down the date.
• Keep track of how many days the period
How to lasts.

Calculate • When you begin your period the next

month, make note of that date.
Menstrual • Count the days between your period
start dates.
Cycle • Now count forward from the beginning
of your second period to the
appropriate number of days – this
should be when you start your period
again.
 You can also keep track of any
symptoms you might have, such as
bloating, feeling irritable, being
more tired than usual, and the like.

Premenstrual Premenstrual syndrome, or PMS, a

condition that many women suffer
Syndrome from during the course of their
menstrual cycle.
(PMS)
The symptoms tend to get much
worse right before the period begins.
 to know when to expect the
monthly flow.
Why should
you care
to get pregnant and want to be
about how able to track their ovulation
times­—this begins by learning
to calculate to track periods.
menstrual
cycle? to make sure everything is okay
each month.
OVULATION AND FERTILIZATION
The lining of the uterus
gets thick in case the egg
is fertilized.
Because the lining is needed
for the growing baby, the
lining does not flow out of the
body; therefore, there is no
period.
If sperm cells meet the egg as
it travels down the Fallopian
tube, the sperm can fertilize
the egg cell, and a new life
will begin. This is called
conception.
If the egg has not been
fertilized by sperm,
conception has not taken
place.
This is called
menstrual flow or
menses or a period
The fertilized egg will
attach itself to the
thickened lining of the
uterus and start to grow
into a baby.
In other words, a baby will
not begin growing. Then, the
lining of the uterus is not
needed for the egg to grow
in, so the lining sheds off and
leaves the body through the
vagina.
 Important events during the
menstrual cycle :
1. The pituitary gland controls and starts the cycle.
2. The pituitary gland releases hormones that cause the egg in the ovary to mature. The
luteinizing hormone (LH) initiates the maturation of the follicles, converts ruptured
follicles into corpus luteum and causes the secretion of progesterone. The follicle
stimulating hormone (FSH) assists in the maturation of the follicles and causes the
secretion of estrogen from the follicles.
3. Meanwhile, the ovary itself releases a hormone called estrogen, which causes the
uterine lining to increase in thickness. The uterine lining becomes thicker so that the
fertilized egg can attach to it.
4. The ovary releases an egg on day 14. Assume that no sperm is present.
5. The egg moves through the oviduct and enters the uterus.
6. Meanwhile the uterine lining continues to thicken.
7. The egg has not been fertilized; therefore, it will not attach to the uterus.
8. The thick uterine lining is no longer necessary, so the cells of the thickened uterine
lining break off and leave the vagina. The unfertilized egg is lost, and some blood is lost
too. This loss of cells from the uterine lining, blood, and egg is called menstruation.
9. After menstruation, the cycle starts again.
 Day-To-Day event of menstrual cycle
• Days 1 to 7—The menstrual flow, also called menses or a period,
begins and usually lasts from three to seven days. The lining of
the uterus thins.
• Days 7 to 14—The lining of the uterus begins to get thicker.
• Day 14—An ovum (human egg cell) is released from one of the
ovaries.
• Days 14 to 17—The ovum travels down the Fallopian tube to the
uterus. If it is not fertilized, it dies and passes out of the body.
• Days 14 to 28—The lining of the uterus continues to thicken.
• Day 1—The menstrual flow begins again, the lining of the uterus
thins, and the whole cycle repeats.
Menstrual
Cycle

•Follicular Phase

•Ovulatory Phase

•Luteal Phase
 • This begins on the day you begin to
Day 1 to 12: bleed and continues until the day
you ovulate.
The • Certain hormones course through
the body and prepare the ovaries to
Follicular release follicles.
Phase • One of those follicles will grow
rapidly and turn into the ovum – or
the egg that is released during the
ovulatory phase.
• The follicle secretes estrogen, and
that helps build up the lining of the
uterus.
 • In this phase, the egg is released
Day 13 to into the fallopian tube.
15: The • Once it is released, there is a 24-48
hour window during which it could
Ovulatory be fertilized by male sperm.
Phase • Cervical mucus increases during this
time, to help the sperm swim up to
the egg.
• If the egg is not fertilized, the lining
begins to break down and the next
phase begins.
 • During this phase, the body is still
preparing to get pregnant at first,
Day 16 to releasing the proper hormones and
waiting for fertilization.
28: The • When it doesn’t happen, the body
Luteal Phase begins to break down the uterine
lining.
• This leads to having your period –
your period is actually your body
shedding the uterine lining that was
prepared for pregnancy but never
used.
•There are 3 main phases of the
menstrual cycle, the follicular phase,
ovulation and the luteal phase. The
main hormones that vary across the
menstrual cycle are estrogen,
progesterone, luteinizing hormone
(LH) and follicle stimulating hormone
(FSH). For most women, each cycle
lasts between 25-35 days, with the
average cycle lasting 28 days.
•Follicular phase – starts on day 1 of the cycle, the first day of menstruation
and ends around day 14 with ovulation
•Ovulation – occurs mid-cycle, around day 14, following a surge of
luteinizing hormone
•Luteal phase – starts from ovulation for the remainder of the cycle until
the start of menstruation
 Events are distinguished by changes to hormonal
levels, follicular development and the status of the
endometrium

•   Event:          
–   Cycle Overview
          
–   Pituitary Hormones
           
–  Ovarian Cycle             
– Ovarian Hormones
           
–   Uterine Cycle
 
• The menstrual cycle describes recurring changes that occur
within the female reproductive system to make pregnancy
possible
• Each menstrual cycle lasts roughly one month (~28 days) and
begins at puberty (menarche) before ending with menopause
•
There are two key groups of hormones which control and
coordinate the menstrual cycle:
• Pituitary hormones (FSH and LH) are released from the
anterior pituitary gland and act on the ovaries to develop
follicles
• Ovarian hormones (estrogen and progesterone) are released
from the ovaries and act on the uterus to prepare for
pregnancy
1.  Follicular Phase
•Follicle stimulating hormone (FSH) is
secreted from the anterior pituitary and
stimulates growth of ovarian follicles
•The dominant follicle produces estrogen,
which inhibits FSH secretion (negative
feedback) to prevent other follicles growing
•Estrogen acts on the uterus to stimulate the
thickening of the endometrial layer
3.  Luteal Phase
•The ruptured follicle develops into a
slowly degenerating corpus luteum
•The corpus luteum secretes high
levels of progesterone, as well as lower
levels of estrogen
•Estrogen and progesterone act on the
uterus to thicken the endometrial lining
(in preparation for pregnancy)
•Estrogen and progesterone also inhibit
secretion of FSH and LH, preventing
any follicles from developing
2.  Ovulation
•Midway through the cycle (~ day 12), estrogen stimulates
the anterior pituitary to secrete hormones (positive
feedback)
•This positive feedback results in a large surge of luteinizing
hormone (LH) and a lesser surge of FSH
•LH causes the dominant follicle to rupture and release an
egg (secondary oocyte) – this is called ovulation
4.  Menstruation
•If fertilization occurs, the developing embryo will implant in
the endometrium and release hormones to sustain the
corpus luteum
•If fertilization doesn’t occur, the corpus luteum eventually
degenerates (forming a corpus albicans after ~ 2 weeks)
•When the corpus luteum degenerates, estrogen and
progesterone levels drop and the endometrium can no
longer be maintained
•The endometrial layer is sloughed away and eliminated
from the body as menstrual blood (i.e. a woman’s period)
•As estrogen and progesterone levels are too now low to
inhibit the anterior pituitary, the cycle can now begin again
 A process through which the
level of one substance influences
the level of another substance.

A negative feedback affects the

Feedback production of hormones in the
Mechanism menstrual cycle.

High levels of one hormone may

inhibit the production of another
hormone.
 Feedback
Mechanisms in the
Menstrual Cycle
• Follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH)
stimulates the ovaries to release
estrogen. High levels of estrogen then
prevent the further production of FSH.
• Estrogen also stimulates the release of
Luteinizing hormone (LH) from the
pituitary gland, which in turn controls
the production of progesterone. High
levels of progesterone then inhibit the
further release of LH.
Flowchart of
Hormonal
Actions During
Menstrual
Cycle
 1. An increase in FSH may also indicate a
reduction of good quality eggs and
embryos for fertilization. A common
Negative reason for this is your age. Your fertility
starts to decline, and fewer eggs mature in
feedback your ovaries. The quality of the eggs that
remain is lower than during earlier years.

2. An abnormally high levels of LH during

non-ovulation times in the menstrual cycle
may mean you are in menopause. It may
also mean that you have a pituitary
disorder or polycystic ovary syndrome.
Feedback Mechanism in Females
 Activity
Make a flowchart about the feedback mechanism of
the male and female reproductive system and
explain.
 Performance Task
• Refer to SLM Module 2 pages 19-20