AQA GCSE Combined Science (8464), Higher tier · Biology › Homeostasis and response › Hormonal coordination in humans
Practise Hormones in human reproduction. 14 exam-style questions plus unlimited generated ones 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 and, at Higher tier, how they control each other. Expect graph questions on hormone levels across the cycle and a 6-mark explanation of the hormone interactions.
Grade by grade
What you need to be able to do, from the first marks up to the top grade.
3
Name the main male and female hormonesTestosterone from the testes; oestrogen from the ovaries.
4
Define ovulationThe release of a mature egg from an ovary, about every 28 days.
5
State the roles of the four cycle hormonesFSH matures an egg, LH triggers its release, and oestrogen and progesterone maintain the uterus lining.
6
Interpret hormone graphs of the menstrual cycleMatch each hormone's peak to events such as ovulation and the build-up of the uterus lining.
7
Explain how the four hormones interactE.g. oestrogen inhibits FSH and stimulates LH; progesterone inhibits FSH and LH.
8
Explain why the cycle restarts without pregnancyProgesterone falls, the lining breaks down, and FSH is no longer inhibited, so another egg matures.
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.
How the hormones interact grade 7+
FSH also stimulates the ovaries to produce oestrogen.
Rising oestrogen inhibits FSH release and stimulates LH release.
A surge in LH at about day 14 triggers ovulation.
After ovulation, progesterone inhibits both FSH and LH and keeps the lining in place.
If the egg is not fertilised, progesterone falls, the lining breaks down (a period), and FSH is no longer inhibited, so another egg starts to mature.
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.
Cheatsheet
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
Oestrogen: inhibits FSH, stimulates LH grade 7+
Progesterone: inhibits FSH and LH grade 7+
How to answer each type of question
Name the hormone
1 mark each4
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 answer
(a) FSH (1) (b) LH (1) (c) Testosterone (1)
Interpret hormone levels during the cycle
2 to 4 marks6
Find the day of each hormone's peak.
LH peak → ovulation. High progesterone → lining maintained.
Give a reason linked to what the hormone does.
Example. In one woman's cycle, the concentration of LH in her blood is low for most of the cycle but rises sharply to a peak on day 13, then falls. (a) Predict the day on which ovulation is most likely to happen. Give a reason. (b) Her progesterone concentration is highest between days 18 and 24. Explain why this is important if an egg is fertilised.
Show the model answer
(a) Day 13 or 14 (1), because LH stimulates the release of an egg / the LH peak triggers ovulation (1) (b) Progesterone maintains the uterus lining (1), so an embryo can implant and the pregnancy can continue (1)
6-mark: explain how the hormones control the cycle
6 marks7
Go through the hormones in the order they act: FSH, oestrogen, LH, progesterone.
For each, give where it is made, what it does, and its effect on the other hormones.
Finish with what happens if the egg is not fertilised.
Example. Explain how FSH, LH, oestrogen and progesterone interact to control the menstrual cycle.
Show the model answer
Indicative content: FSH is released by the pituitary gland; FSH causes an egg to mature in the ovary; FSH stimulates the ovary to release oestrogen; oestrogen makes the uterus lining build up; oestrogen inhibits FSH release and stimulates LH release; LH from the pituitary triggers ovulation at about day 14; after ovulation the ovary releases progesterone; progesterone maintains the uterus lining and inhibits FSH and LH; if the egg is not fertilised, progesterone falls, the lining breaks down and FSH is released again. Level 3 (5 to 6 marks): the role of each hormone and the links between them, in a logical sequence. Level 2 (3 to 4 marks): the roles of most hormones with at least one interaction. Level 1 (1 to 2 marks): simple roles, e.g. 'LH releases an egg'.
Shortcuts and memory tricks
Order in which they act: FSH, Oestrogen, LH, Progesterone. 'Follow Our Lovely Plan.'
FSH = Follicle Stimulating: gets the egg ready. LH = the Launch hormone: releases it.
PROgesterone is PRO-pregnancy: it keeps the lining ready.
Oestrogen switches FSH off and LH on; progesterone switches both off.
Where marks are lost
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.
Mixing up 'inhibits' and 'stimulates' in the hormone interactions.
Saying the cycle is exactly 28 days for everyone. It is about 28 days and varies.
Exam technique
For graph questions, match peaks to events: LH peak → ovulation; high progesterone → lining maintained.
In the 6-mark answer, give each hormone's source, its effect, and its effect on the other hormones.
Use the words 'inhibits' and 'stimulates': they are what examiners look for.
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
Which hormone is secreted by the ovary after ovulation and maintains the lining of the uterus?
Progesterone
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 2Medium6 marks
{fig} shows the concentrations of oestrogen and progesterone in a woman's blood during one menstrual cycle. The solid line is oestrogen and the dashed line is progesterone.
[object Object]
(a) On which day was the concentration of oestrogen highest?[1]
(b) The woman ovulated on day 14. Describe how the changes in hormone concentrations in {fig} are consistent with this.[2]
(c) Explain why the lining of the uterus starts to break down at the end of the cycle.[2]
(d) Suggest what would happen to the concentration of progesterone after day 21 if the woman became pregnant.[1]
Show the answer and mark scheme
(a)Answer: Day 13
13
(b)Answer: Oestrogen peaks just before day 14; progesterone only starts to rise after day 14
oestrogen peaks just before day 14 / oestrogen falls sharply after day 13
progesterone (is low until and) increases after day 14
(c)Answer: The progesterone (and oestrogen) concentration falls, and progesterone is needed to maintain the uterus lining
progesterone concentration falls (after day 21)
progesterone maintains the uterus lining, so it is no longer maintained
(d)Answer: It would stay high
it would stay high / not fall / increase
Question 3Hard7 marks
The menstrual cycle is controlled by four hormones: FSH, LH, oestrogen and progesterone.
(a) Which hormone is secreted by the ovary after ovulation and maintains the lining of the uterus?[1]
(b) Explain how FSH, LH, oestrogen and progesterone interact to control the menstrual cycle.[6]
Show the answer and mark scheme
(a)Answer: Progesterone
progesterone
(b)Answer: Level 3 answers describe the role of each hormone and link them through their effects on each other's release
FSH is released by the pituitary gland and causes an egg to mature in the ovary
FSH stimulates the ovaries to produce oestrogen
oestrogen causes the uterus lining to build up / thicken
oestrogen inhibits FSH release and stimulates LH release
a surge of LH stimulates the release of the egg (ovulation) at about day 14
after ovulation the ovary produces progesterone, which maintains the uterus lining
progesterone inhibits FSH and LH, so no further eggs mature
if the egg is not fertilised, progesterone falls and the uterus lining breaks down (menstruation)
the fall in progesterone allows FSH to rise again and the cycle repeats
Marked with levels of response: the full level descriptors are in the app.