AQA GCSE Biology Foundation (8461), Foundation tier · Homeostasis and response › Hormonal coordination in humans
Practise Hormones in human reproduction. 5 exam-style questions on this subtopic, at up to four difficulty levels, with full mark schemes and a progress tracker. Free, no account needed.
The hormones of puberty and the menstrual cycle: what FSH, LH, oestrogen and progesterone each do.
Key facts
Oestrogen: ovaries; main female reproductive hormone
Testosterone: testes; stimulates sperm production
Ovulation = release of an egg, about every 28 days
FSH (pituitary): egg matures
LH (pituitary): egg released
Oestrogen and progesterone: build up and maintain the uterus lining
Notes
Puberty
During puberty, reproductive hormones cause secondary sex characteristics to develop.
Oestrogen is the main female reproductive hormone, produced in the ovaries. At puberty, eggs begin to mature and one is released about every 28 days. This is ovulation.
Testosterone is the main male reproductive hormone, produced by the testes. It stimulates sperm production.
Hormones of the menstrual cycle
FSH (follicle stimulating hormone, from the pituitary gland) causes an egg to mature in the ovary.
LH (luteinising hormone, from the pituitary gland) stimulates the release of the egg (ovulation).
Oestrogen (from the ovaries) makes the lining of the uterus build up.
Progesterone (from the ovary, after ovulation) maintains the lining of the uterus.
The cycle in days
Days 1 to about 5: the uterus lining breaks down and is lost (menstruation).
About days 5 to 14: the lining builds up again while an egg matures.
About day 14: ovulation. Days 14 to 28: the lining is maintained, ready for a fertilised egg to implant.
How to answer each type of question
Name the hormone
1 mark eachGrade 4
Match the effect to the hormone: mature (FSH), release (LH), build up (oestrogen), maintain (progesterone).
Give the name or the correct abbreviation.
Example. Name the hormone that: (a) causes an egg to mature in the ovary (b) stimulates the release of an egg (c) stimulates sperm production.
Show the model answerHide the model answer
(a) FSH (1) (b) LH (1) (c) Testosterone (1)
Don’t lose marks
Saying LH makes the egg mature. FSH matures it; LH releases it.
Saying FSH and LH come from the ovaries. They come from the pituitary gland.
Saying the cycle is exactly 28 days for everyone. It is about 28 days and varies.
More tips
Memory tricks
FSH = Follicle Stimulating: gets the egg ready. LH = the Launch hormone: releases it.
PROgesterone is PRO-pregnancy: it keeps the lining ready.
What each grade needs
What you need to be able to do, from the first marks up to the top grade.
Grade 3
Name the main male and female hormonesTestosterone from the testes; oestrogen from the ovaries.
Grade 4
Define ovulationThe release of a mature egg from an ovary, about every 28 days.
Grade 5
State the roles of the four cycle hormonesFSH matures an egg, LH triggers its release, and oestrogen and progesterone maintain the uterus lining.
Quick recall
Cover the answers and test yourself. The app has these as flashcards that come back just before you'd forget them.
Name the main male reproductive hormone and the organ that produces it.
Testosterone, produced by the testes
Changes such as the growth of pubic hair begin at puberty. What name is given to these changes?
Secondary sex characteristics
Give the main effect of oestrogen on the uterus during the menstrual cycle.
It causes the lining of the uterus to build up (thicken)
Write the letters in the correct order, starting with the first day of the cycle.
C, D, A, B
Sample questions
Written for this site in the style of AQA exam questions. They are not taken from real past papers.
Question 1Easy6 marks
Several hormones are involved in human reproduction.
(a) Which hormone is the main female reproductive hormone produced in the ovary? Tick (✓) one box.[1]
FSH
Insulin
Oestrogen
Testosterone
(b) Name the main male reproductive hormone and the organ that produces it.[2]
(c) What does the main male reproductive hormone stimulate?[1]
(d) Give the function of FSH and the function of LH in the menstrual cycle.[2]
Show the answer and mark scheme
(a)Answer: Oestrogen
(b)Answer: Testosterone, produced by the testes
testosterone
testes / testis
(c)Answer: Sperm production
sperm production
(d)Answer: FSH causes an egg to mature in the ovary; LH stimulates the release of the egg
FSH: causes (an) egg to mature (in the ovary)
LH: stimulates the release of an egg / ovulation
Question 2Medium5 marks
Some women track their fertility by measuring their basal body temperature (their body temperature at rest, measured every morning before getting up) on each day of their menstrual cycle. Progesterone raises body temperature slightly. {table} shows one woman’s basal body temperature on four days of her cycle.
[object Object]
(a) Between which two days shown in {table} did ovulation most likely occur? Explain your answer.[2]
(b) Suggest why basal body temperature charting is not a reliable way to know in advance exactly when to have, or avoid, intercourse in order to affect the chance of pregnancy.[2]
(c) Give one advantage of using basal body temperature charting, rather than hormonal contraception, to avoid pregnancy.[1]
Show the answer and mark scheme
(a)Answer: Between day 14 and day 16, because body temperature rose noticeably between these days; progesterone, released after ovulation, raises body temperature
between day 14 and day 16
body temperature rose (noticeably) between these days, and progesterone (released after ovulation) raises body temperature
(b)Answer: The temperature rise only happens after ovulation has already occurred, so it cannot predict ovulation in advance; the day of ovulation also varies from cycle to cycle
the temperature rise happens only after ovulation, so it cannot predict ovulation in advance
by the time the rise is detected the egg may no longer be able to be fertilised, and the day of ovulation can vary between cycles
(c)Answer: It involves no hormones, so there are no hormonal side effects
no hormones / no hormonal side effects / free / no prescription needed