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Gametogenesis Quiz
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Which of the following best describes the primary function of the corpus luteum after ovulation?
- A Secretion of oestrogen to stimulate maturation of the next cohort of ovarian follicles You picked ✕
- B Secretion of luteinising hormone to sustain progesterone synthesis You picked ✕
- C Initiation of meiosis in the developing oocyte You picked ✕
- D Secretion of progesterone to prepare the uterine mucosa for implantation You picked ✓
- E Secretion of human chorionic gonadotrophin to maintain the corpus luteum You picked ✕
Correct!
Incorrect
The answer is D: Secretion of progesterone to prepare the uterine mucosa for implantation
Explanation
Why D is correct
See The Female Gamete. Option D is correct. When the follicle releases its oocyte at ovulation, the cells left behind collapse and change into the corpus luteum, a temporary hormone-producing structure in the ovary. Its main job is to secrete progesterone, together with some oestrogen. Oestrogen in the first half of the cycle makes the endometrium, the lining of the uterus, grow. Progesterone then changes it into a secretory lining, one with active glands that release nutrients, which is receptive to an early embryo. Progesterone production peaks in the middle of the luteal phase, the time between ovulation and the next period, when the lining is best prepared for implantation. If there is no pregnancy, the corpus luteum regresses and hormone levels fall, and the lining is shed as a period. If an embryo implants, the hormone hCG (human chorionic gonadotrophin, made by the developing placental tissue) rescues the corpus luteum so that progesterone keeps being made until the placenta takes over. Memory aid: progesterone means pro-gestation, it supports a pregnancy.
- Source: The corpus luteum forms from the cells left behind in the ovary after ovulation.
- Main hormone: Progesterone, together with some oestrogen.
- Effect: Progesterone changes the endometrium into a secretory lining that is ready for an embryo to implant.
- If pregnant: HCG rescues the corpus luteum so that progesterone keeps being made until the placenta takes over.
Why the other options are incorrect
- A. Secretion of oestrogen to stimulate maturation of the next cohort of ovarian follicles: The corpus luteum does secrete some oestrogen, but in the luteal phase this supports the endometrial lining; it is not a signal to mature the next ovarian follicle. Follicular maturation is driven by FSH earlier in the cycle, so this is an off-target function. Your answer
- B. Secretion of luteinising hormone to sustain progesterone synthesis: Luteinising hormone is released from the anterior pituitary and acts on the corpus luteum to promote progesterone output. The corpus luteum responds to LH but does not produce LH itself. Your answer
- C. Initiation of meiosis in the developing oocyte: Meiosis in the oocyte begins before birth, long before a corpus luteum forms. The corpus luteum is made after ovulation, so it cannot start a process that began decades earlier. Your answer
- E. Secretion of human chorionic gonadotrophin to maintain the corpus luteum: Human chorionic gonadotrophin is made by the implanting trophoblast and rescues the corpus luteum, but the corpus luteum does not secrete it. This option puts the hormone source in the wrong tissue. Your answer
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More questions from this set. Start the quiz to answer them and see each explanation.
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1
During normal human oogenesis, at which stage are primary oocytes arrested from foetal life until they resume meiosis in an ovulatory cycle?
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2
Which event best describes spermiation at the end of sperm development?
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