Self-Assessment Questions (SAQs) for Study Session 4
Now that you have completed this study session, you can assess how well you have achieved its Learning Outcomes by answering these questions. Write your answers in your Study Diary and discuss them with your Tutor at the next Study Support Meeting. You can check your answers with the Notes on the Self-Assessment Questions at the end of this Module.
SAQ 4.1 (tests Learning Outcomes 4.1 and 4.2)
The left-hand column of Table 4.1 gives the names of the various phases in the menstrual cycle. Complete the right-hand column by entering the correct period in days measured from the last normal menstrual period (LNMP).
| Phase of the menstrual cycle | Days (1 = first day of the LNMP) |
|---|---|
| Follicular phase of the ovarian cycle | |
| Luteal phase of the ovarian cycle | |
| Menstrual phase of the uterine cycle | |
| Proliferative phase of the uterine cycle | |
| Secretory phase of the uterine cycle |
Answer
| Phase of the menstrual cycle | Days (1 = first day of the LNMP) |
|---|---|
| Follicular phase of the ovarian cycle | 1-14 |
| Luteal phase of the ovarian cycle | 15-28 |
| Menstrual phase of the uterine cycle | 1-5 |
| Proliferative phase of the uterine cycle | 6-14 |
| Secretory phase of the uterine cycle | 15-28 |
SAQ 4.2 (tests Learning Outcome 4.2)
Why do you think that a woman may feel cramping pains in her abdomen when she is menstruating?
Answer
A woman may feel cramping pains in her abdomen when she is menstruating because the muscular walls of the uterus (the myometrium) contract to help cut off the blood supply to the endometrium, causing it to break away from the uterus.
SAQ 4.3 (tests Learning Outcome 4.3)
Can you suggest how the relatively high concentration of artificially produced oestrogen and progesterone in contraceptive pills prevents pregnancy in women who take the pills regularly as prescribed?
Answer
The relatively high concentration of artificially produced oestrogen and progesterone in contraceptive pills prevents pregnancy by activating a negative feedback mechanism on the hypothalamus in the brain. High levels of oestrogen and progesterone mimic the situation that occurs in pregnancy. They suppress the production of gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) from the hypothalamus, so the pituitary gland stops producing FSH and LH. This in turn stops the ovaries from maturing any more ova, so ovulation does not occur, and the woman cannot get pregnant as long as she takes the contraceptive pills regularly as prescribed.
SAQ 4.4 (tests Learning Outcome 4.3)
Explain why menstruation stops during pregnancy.
Answer
In a pregnant woman, the placenta continuously produces the hormone HCG, which causes the corpus luteum in the ovary to produce progesterone throughout the pregnancy. Progesterone maintains the endometrium as a thick fatty layer, so menstruation ceases during pregnancy because the endometrium remains attached to the uterus, where it assists in nourishing and protecting the growing fetus.
Summary of Study Session 4