B11) HORMONAL CORDINATION
Pituitary
gland
Thyroid
Adrenal
gland
Testes
Pineal
gland
Thymus
Pancreas
Ovaries
Hormones in human reproduction
During puberty reproductive hormones cause secondary sexual characteristics to develop | |
Oestrogen (main female reproductive hormone) | Testosterone (main male reproductive hormone) |
Produced in the ovaries. At puberty eggs being to mature releasing one every 28 days – ovulation. | Produced in the testes stimulation sperm production. |
Menstrual cycle | Follicle stimulating hormone (FSH) | Causes maturation of an egg in the ovary. | (HT) FSH stimulates ovaries to produce oestrogen. |
Luteinising hormone (LH) | Stimulates release of an egg. | (HT) Oestrogen stops FSH production and stimulates LH production in pituitary gland. | |
Oestrogen and progesterone | Maintain uterus lining. |
FSH
LH
oestrogen
progesterone
(HT only) a graph of hormone levels over time
Contraception
Fertility can be controlled by hormonal and non hormonal methods | Oral contraceptives | Contain hormones to inhibit FSH production so that no eggs mature. |
Injection, implant, skin patch | For slow release of progesterone to inhibit the maturation and release of eggs for months or years. | |
Barrier methods | Condoms or diaphragms which prevent sperm reaching the egg. | |
Intrauterine devices | Prevent implantation of an embryo or release a hormone. | |
Spermicidal agents | Kill or disable sperm. | |
Abstaining | Avoiding intercourse when an egg may be in the oviduct. | |
Surgery | Male or female sterilisation. |
The use of hormone to treat infertility (HT only)
In Vitro Fertilisation (IVF) treatment. |
Involves giving a mother FSH and LH to stimulate the maturation of several eggs |
The eggs are collected from the mother and fertilised by sperm from the father in a laboratory. |
The fertilised eggs develop into embryos. |
At the stage when they are tiny balls of cells, one or two embryos are inserted into the mother’s uterus (womb). |
Hormones are used in modern reproductive technologies to treat infertility
FSH and LH are used as ‘fertility drugs’ to help someone become pregnant in the normal way
Potential disadvantages of IVF | Emotional and physical stress. |
Success rates are not high. | |
Multiple births risk to mother and babies. |
gravity
Light
Plant hormones
Plants produce hormones to coordinate and control growth
Plant responses using hormones (auxins) | Light (phototropism) | Light breaks down auxins and they become unequally distributed in the shoot. The side with the highest concentration of auxins has the highest growth rate and the shoot grows toward the light. |
Gravity (geotropism or gravitropism) | Gravity causes an unequal distribution of auxins. In roots the side with the lowest concentration has the highest growth rate and the root grows in the direction of gravity. | |
In new shoots from a seedling the unequal distribution of auxins causes the shoot to grow away from gravity. |
(HT only) Gibberellins are important in initiating seed germination.
(HT only) Ethene controls cell division and ripening of fruits.
Use of plant hormones (HT only)
Plant growth hormones are used in agriculture and horticulture | Auxins | Weed killers, rooting powders, promoting growth in tissue culture. |
Ethene | Control ripening of fruit during storage and transport. | |
Gibberellins | End seed dormancy, promote flowering, increase fruit size. |