Objective 13: Name hormones of the gonads and give their functions

Being able to name the hormones of the gonads and state their functions seemed like a pretty easy task, but I was left confused after reading the textbook. So I'll start with the common knowledge. The male and female gonads (sex organs) produce steriod hormones, like the ones produced by adrenal cortical cells. The female gonads consist of the ovaries, and the most important hormones they secrete are estrogens and progesterone. The male gonads consist of the testes (located in the scrotum), and the most important hormones that they secrete are testosterone. Sounds simple enough, right? The textbook was a great help in figuring out this information but instead of referring to the reproductive chapter, I referred to the endocrine chapter. But where does the gonadotrophins come into place? Since the gonadotrophins had the word gonad in them, I was pretty sure that they had to be part of the hormones that the gonads secrete. Wrong! The gonadotrophins actually regulate the release of the gonadal hormones. Im glad that the textbook was able to clear that up.

Functions:

Estrogens: responsible for maturation of the reproductive organs and appearance of the secondary sex characteristics of females at puberty

Progesterone: stimulate the growth of a cushion lining in the uterus where the fertilized egg can grow, promotes breast development and cyclic changes in the uterine mucosa

Testosterone: initiates the maturation of the male reproductive organs and the appearance of secondary sex characteristics and sex drive