The female menstrual cycle is a complex, yet perfectly designed process. Each phase contributes to the next, and each hormone plays a crucial role in influencing change within the ovary and/or uterus. This cycle is typically 28 days (varies from woman to woman) with the purpose of preparing the woman’s body for the development of an embryo. This assignment is designed to develop a thorough understanding of the miracle that is conception, since all aspects of the menstrual cycle need to happen correctly for pregnancy to occur (among many other physiological processes).
After reading the relevant sections of the textbook, create a short video (less than 2 minutes) in which you describe the menstrual cycle and the hormones that dictate its function. Be sure to use the provided “Menstrual Cycle” graphic located in the “Female Hormones and Menstrual Cycle Video” document when making the video. In this assignment, mention the following hormones and their influence on the female menstrual cycle:
Luteinizing hormone (LH): Triggers ovulation.
Follicle stimulating hormone (FSH): Promotes maturation and growth of the follicle.
Estrogen: Promotes thickening of the endometrium in preparation of implantation. Produced by the follicle.
Progesterone: Maintains the thickness of the endometrium. Produced by the corpus luteum.
Important information to be aware of:
The “Menstrual Cycle” graphic displays the hormonal response as if implantation/pregnancy did not occur (unless there was a physiological issue). This can be determined by looking at what is occurring to the progesterone response; if it decreases, that signals menstruation.
In your video, address the following:
What is occurring during the ovarian cycle?
Describe the hormonal response and its effects.
Note the changes that are occurring to the follicle in the follicular phase.
Note what occurs to the remnant follicle after ovulation.
Describe when ovulation is occurring. Relate your answer to the hormonal response.
What is occurring during the uterine cycle?
Describe the hormonal response and the effects the hormones have.
What is occurring to the thickness of the endometrium throughout this phase? Relate your answer to hormones.
Describe why the endometrium is thickening during this phase.
Address the connection between the ovarian and uterine cycles.
It is recommended that you make a script and practice your explanation prior to recording. Only 1 submission will be accepted and graded.
For videos, suggested tools include Loom, Camstudio, Screencast-O-Matic, voiceover PowerPoint, or screencast. On Windows, there are free applications that do this, for example Camstudio or Screencast-o-matic. Macs have this capability built-in.
Once the video is generated (depending on the software), create a link to the video. This link can come from the software itself or from YouTube. Place the link into the Word document you submit for this assignment.
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