What is the significance of the menstrual cycle hormones?

• A. They regulate digestion
• B. They regulate the processes of ovulation and menstruation
• C. They determine blood type
• D. They control hair color

Answer: (B)

The hormones of the menstrual cycle coordinate ovulation and menstruation. FSH stimulates the growth of ovarian follicles, and as they develop, estrogen rises to thicken the uterine lining. Mid-cycle, a surge of LH triggers ovulation—the release of a mature egg. After ovulation, the corpus luteum produces progesterone (with some estrogen), which keeps the lining prepared for possible pregnancy. If fertilization doesn’t occur, hormone levels fall, and the lining is shed as menstruation, starting the cycle anew. These hormones thus orchestrate when an egg is released and when the uterine lining is built up and then shed. They do not regulate digestion, determine blood type, or control hair color.