Hormones and Fertility – GCSE Biology Practice Quiz

Science Quiz - Biology - Fertility (AQA) (Questions)

Fertility in humans depends on hormones that control the menstrual cycle, ovulation, and chances of pregnancy. Explore how contraception and fertility treatments alter these natural processes.

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Fascinating Fact:

Oestrogen thickens the uterus lining, progesterone maintains it ready for implantation.

In GCSE Biology (AQA), you learn how hormones such as FSH, LH, oestrogen, and progesterone control the menstrual cycle and fertility. You also study contraceptives and fertility treatments like IVF and hormone therapy.

Key Terms

Fertility: The ability to conceive a baby and carry a pregnancy to birth.
Menstrual cycle: A monthly sequence of hormone-controlled changes that prepare the uterus for possible pregnancy.
Fertility treatment: Medical help, such as IVF or hormone therapy, designed to increase the chances of pregnancy.

Frequently Asked Questions (Click to see answers)

What does fertility mean in GCSE Biology?

In GCSE Biology, fertility means how likely it is that a person can produce offspring. It depends on healthy gametes, regular ovulation in females, and successful fertilisation.

How do hormones control the menstrual cycle?

FSH stimulates an egg to mature in the ovary, LH triggers ovulation, and changing levels of oestrogen and progesterone control the build up and breakdown of the uterus lining.

What is IVF and when might it be used?

IVF, or in vitro fertilisation, is a fertility treatment where eggs are collected, fertilised with sperm in a lab, and embryos are placed into the uterus if natural conception is difficult.

Try These Related Quizzes

The female menstrual cycle is controlled by what?

[ ]	Messages from the brain sent via the nervous system
[ ]	The ovaries
[ ]	Several hormones
[ ]	The uterus

Choose the pair of words that best describes where hormones are produced and how they are transported.

[ ]	Brain, nerves
[ ]	Stomach, blood
[ ]	Bones, nerves
[ ]	Glands, blood

Which of the following hormones is not involved in human fertility?

[ ]	Aldosterone
[ ]	Progesterone
[ ]	FSH
[ ]	Luteinising hormone

In which gland are FSH and LH produced?

[ ]	Adrenal
[ ]	Thyroid
[ ]	Pituitary
[ ]	Hypothalmus

The hormone oestrogen is secreted by the ovaries. Which of the following is a function of oestrogen?

[ ]	Higher levels cause menstruation
[ ]	It maintains the lining of the uterus
[ ]	It causes the release of an egg from the ovary
[ ]	It stops FSH from being produced

The hormone progesterone is secreted by the ovaries. Which of the following is a function of progesterone?

[ ]	Higher levels cause menstruation
[ ]	It maintains the lining of the uterus
[ ]	It causes the release of an egg from the ovary
[ ]	It stops FSH from being produced

The oral contraceptive pill greatly reduces the chances of a woman producing mature eggs and therefore reduces her chances of becoming pregnant. Which of the following are possible side effects?

[ ]	Changes in weight, mood and blood pressure
[ ]	Acne and eczema
[ ]	Hair loss
[ ]	All of the above

How do fertility drugs work?

[ ]	They contain oestrogen which stimulates egg production in the ovaries
[ ]	They contain progesterone which causes lots of eggs to be released from the ovaries
[ ]	They contain three hormones which fertilise an egg in the ovaries
[ ]	They contain FSH which stimulates eggs to mature in the ovaries

When is in vitro fertilisation (IVF) used?

[ ]	When a woman is unable to produce her own eggs
[ ]	When the lining of the uterus cannot support natural fertilisation
[ ]	When the quantity or quality of a man's sperm is poor
[ ]	When a couple wants to have twins

10.

Why is FSH used during IVF?

[ ]	It increases the number of eggs available for fertilisation
[ ]	It stimulates the uterus to be ready to receive the fertilised egg
[ ]	It prevents the woman's body from producing oestrogen
[ ]	It helps the man produce better quality sperm

Science Quiz - Biology - Fertility (AQA) (Answers)

The female menstrual cycle is controlled by what?

[ ]	Messages from the brain sent via the nervous system
[ ]	The ovaries
[x]	Several hormones
[ ]	The uterus

There are a number of hormones secreted by the pituitary gland and the ovaries that control fertility and the menstrual cycle

Choose the pair of words that best describes where hormones are produced and how they are transported.

[ ]	Brain, nerves
[ ]	Stomach, blood
[ ]	Bones, nerves
[x]	Glands, blood

There are many different glands in the body, each producing specific hormones

Which of the following hormones is not involved in human fertility?

[x]	Aldosterone
[ ]	Progesterone
[ ]	FSH
[ ]	Luteinising hormone

Aldosterone helps to regulate your blood pressure, the levels of sodium and potassium in your body and the amount of water retained in the blood

In which gland are FSH and LH produced?

[ ]	Adrenal
[ ]	Thyroid
[x]	Pituitary
[ ]	Hypothalmus

The pituitary gland is a pea-sized structure located at the base of the brain. It produces a number of other hormones as well as FSH

The hormone oestrogen is secreted by the ovaries. Which of the following is a function of oestrogen?

[ ]	Higher levels cause menstruation
[ ]	It maintains the lining of the uterus
[ ]	It causes the release of an egg from the ovary
[x]	It stops FSH from being produced

Oestrogen stops FSH being produced so that only one egg matures in a cycle. It also stimulates the release of LH which causes the mature egg to be released from the ovary into the uterus

The hormone progesterone is secreted by the ovaries. Which of the following is a function of progesterone?

[ ]	Higher levels cause menstruation
[x]	It maintains the lining of the uterus
[ ]	It causes the release of an egg from the ovary
[ ]	It stops FSH from being produced

It maintains the lining of the uterus during the middle part of the menstrual cycle and during pregnancy

The oral contraceptive pill greatly reduces the chances of a woman producing mature eggs and therefore reduces her chances of becoming pregnant. Which of the following are possible side effects?

[x]	Changes in weight, mood and blood pressure
[ ]	Acne and eczema
[ ]	Hair loss
[ ]	All of the above

Oral contraceptives contain oestrogen, or oestrogen and progesterone. There is also a chance of an increased risk of developing blood clots but on the plus side there is evidence of a decreased risk of developing cancer of the uterus or ovaries

How do fertility drugs work?

[ ]	They contain oestrogen which stimulates egg production in the ovaries
[ ]	They contain progesterone which causes lots of eggs to be released from the ovaries
[ ]	They contain three hormones which fertilise an egg in the ovaries
[x]	They contain FSH which stimulates eggs to mature in the ovaries

Some women have difficulty becoming pregnant because they don't produce enough FSH to allow their eggs to mature. This type of treatment increases the production of mature eggs and can lead to twins or triplets being expected. This brings its own complications and can lead to premature or underweight babies being born