Lesson 6 — Effects of Reproductive Hormones


Lab - Analyzing Blood Hormone Level

Analyze the following Blood Hormone Level table and identify correctly the individuals to the blood samples. Explain your answers by  identifying correctly the physiological event and the role of the sex hormone.

  • Child – less than 9 years old
  • Male – greater than 50 years old
  • Female – follicular phase
  • Female – pre-ovulation
  • Female – luteal phase
  • Female – post-menopause

Blood Hormone Levels


 Blood Samples  1  2  3  4  5  6
 Follicle Stimulating Hormone (mIU/L)
 1  2
20
1
 54
 5
 Luteinizing Hormone (mIU/L)
 6  2  50  0.5 34
 7.5
 Estrogen (pg/mL)
 122  33  300  6  20  49
 Progesterone (ng/mL)
 13.7  1.1  0.9  0.4  0.6  0.7
 Testosterone (ng/dL)
 35  251  32  10  21  33

 Sample 1: Female at luteal phase
  • FSH and LH levels are low.
  • Estrogen level is elevated.
  • Progesterone level is high.
  • Corpus luteum is producing a high level of progesterone and some estrogen.
  • Estrogen and progesterone are suppressing the secretion of FSH and LH.
  • Progesterone is maintaining the endometrium.  

Sample 2: Male – greater than 50 years
  • Testosterone level is higher than in other individuals but not as high as an adult male.
  • All other hormone levels are low. Individual 2 is an older male, experiencing andropause.

Sample 3: Female at pre-ovulation (~Day 12)
  • FSH and LH are increasing and higher than normal.
  • Estrogen level is peaking.
  • Growing follicle is increasing the estrogen production and this is leading to an LH surge.
  • LH surge causes ovulation.

Sample 4: Child - less than 9 years old
  • All hormone levels are very low.
  • This indicates that Individual 4 has not hit puberty yet and is most likely less than 10 years old.

Sample 5: Post-Menopause
  • FSH and LH levels are elevated.
  • Estrogen and progesterone levels are very low.
  • Any remaining follicles more resistant to FSH and do not mature.                  
  • Follicles do not secrete estrogen or progesterone.
  • Low levels of estrogen and progesterone result in no negative feedback on the hypothalamus and anterior pituitary so the anterior pituitary secretes FSH ans LH.                  

Sample 6: Female at Follicular Phase (first half)
  • FSH and LH levels are increasing.  
  • Estrogen and progesterone levels are low at beginning of phase so no negative feedback on hypothalamus and anterior pituitary to inhibit FSH and LH. 
  • FSH stimulates follicles to grow.
  • As follicles grow, they secrete estrogen so estrogen increases later in this phase.



Self-Check


  1. Identify A and B: ________ and ________.

  2. The main hormones of the luteal stage are ________ and ________.

  3. Ovulation occurs at approximately day ________.

  4. The main hormones of the follicular stage are ________ and ________.

  5. The hormones secreted by the pituitary in the ovarian cycle are ________ and ________.

  6. The hormones secreted by the ovary in the ovarian cycle are ________ and ________.

  7. The main hormones that regulate the uterine cycle [menstrual cycle] are ________ and ________.

  8. Menstruation occurs when ________.

  9. The date of ovulation can vary because ________.

  10. The female reproductive system follows the menstrual cycle except ________.


  1. A = follicular stage; B = luteal stage

  2. LH (luteinizing hormone) and progesterone

  3. 14

  4. FSH (follicle-stimulating hormone) and estrogen (small bottom graph)

  5. FSH and LH 

  6. estrogen and progesterone (These are the pregnancy hormones, and if they drop, menstruation begins because they build and maintain the uterine lining.)

  7. estrogen builds the endometrium in the follicular phase and progesterone is the main hormone that maintains the endometrium in the luteal phase                   

  8. Progesterone and estrogen levels drop at the end of the luteal phase if fertilization does not occur.  The start of menstruation signifies the start of a new cycle beginning at Day 1.

  9. stress, illness, flu, cold, overwork, etc. (Over-training for marathons and triathlons is known to disrupt normal menstrual cycles. Irregular use of birth control pills alters the normal cycle as does taking anabolic steroids.)

  10. if a woman is pregnant (If she has her ovaries removed surgically for medical reasons, hormone replacement therapy is necessary.)



Biology 30 © 2008  Alberta Education & its Collaborative Partners ~ Updated by ADLC 2019