1. 1
   During puberty, increasing secretion of sex hormones from the testes in boys and the ovaries in girls leads to the development of secondary sexual characteristics, and later, in females, the same hormones help to regulate a recurring monthly cycle.

   (a)

   During puberty, a boy's testes begin to secrete increasing amounts of a hormone that causes the development of facial hair, a deepening voice and increased muscle mass. Which hormone is responsible for these changes?

   [1 mark]

   • AOestrogen
   • BTestosterone
   • CInsulin
   • DAdrenaline

   (b)

   In girls during puberty, increasing secretion of a hormone from the ovaries leads to the development of breasts and the start of the menstrual cycle. Which hormone is this?

   [1 mark]

   • ATestosterone
   • BGlucagon
   • COestrogen
   • DAdrenaline

   (c)

   Describe the roles of testosterone and oestrogen in the development of secondary sexual characteristics during puberty.

   [2 marks]

   Total for question 1: 4 marks

2. 2
   A doctor explains the menstrual cycle to a patient using a diagram showing changes in the ovaries (development and release of an egg) and changes in the lining of the uterus, controlled by four hormones: FSH, LH, oestrogen and progesterone.

   (a)

   A doctor explains the menstrual cycle to a patient, describing how the lining of the uterus builds up each month in preparation for a possible pregnancy, and breaks down if fertilisation does not occur. Which hormone is mainly responsible for maintaining the lining of the uterus after an egg has been released?

   [1 mark]

   • AProgesterone
   • BTestosterone
   • CInsulin
   • DAdrenaline

   (b)

   The doctor explains that a hormone from the pituitary gland stimulates the maturation of an egg in the ovary and triggers oestrogen secretion during the first part of the cycle. Which hormone is this?

   [1 mark]

   • ALH (luteinising hormone)
   • BAdrenaline
   • CProgesterone
   • DFSH (follicle stimulating hormone)

   (c)

   Describe the roles of FSH and LH in the menstrual cycle.

   [2 marks]

   Total for question 2: 4 marks

3. 3
   A doctor explains to a patient trying to understand her fertility that changes in the lining of the uterus during the menstrual cycle are controlled by changing levels of FSH, LH, oestrogen and progesterone, and that these same hormones would behave differently if fertilisation occurred.

   (a)

   Describe the changes that occur in the lining of the uterus during a menstrual cycle in which fertilisation does not occur, from the start of one period (menstruation) to the start of the next.

   [3 marks]

   (b)

   Explain how the roles of FSH, LH, oestrogen and progesterone together control the events of the menstrual cycle, including the release of an egg and the changes in the lining of the uterus.

   [4 marks]

   Total for question 3: 7 marks

4. 4
   A fertility specialist explains hormone-based methods for predicting ovulation to a couple trying to conceive, and separately explains to another patient how a hormonal contraceptive pill, containing oestrogen and progesterone, prevents pregnancy by disrupting the normal hormonal control of the menstrual cycle.

   (a)

   A fertility specialist is asked to explain to a patient why hormone levels measured mid-cycle can be used to predict when ovulation is about to occur, and why this information is useful for a couple trying to conceive. Explain, using your knowledge of the roles of FSH, LH and oestrogen, how hormone changes can indicate the timing of ovulation, and why timing intercourse around ovulation increases the chance of fertilisation.

   [6 marks]

   (b)

   The specialist explains that a hormonal contraceptive pill, containing oestrogen and progesterone, prevents pregnancy mainly by keeping the levels of these hormones continuously raised throughout the cycle. Explain, using your knowledge of how FSH, LH, oestrogen and progesterone normally interact, why keeping oestrogen and progesterone levels continuously high would prevent an egg from being released.

   [6 marks]

   Total for question 4: 12 marks

End of questions