NHM 201. Ch. 2 vocab with 100% correct answers

infertile Definition:Involuntary absence of production of children. infecund Definition:Biological inability to bear children after one year of unprotected intercourse. 00:02 01:39 fertility Definition:Actual production of children. The word best applies to specific vital statistic rates, but it is commonly taken to mean the ability to bear children. fecundity Definition:Biological ability to bear children. miscarriage Definition:Generally defined as the loss of a conceptus in the first 20 weeks of pregnancy. Also called spontaneous abortion. fetus Definition:The developing organism from eight weeks after conception to the moment of birth. endocrine Definition:A system of ductless glands, such as the thyroid, adrenal glands, ovaries, and testes, that produces secretions that affect body functions. immunological Definition:Having to do with the immune system and its functions in protecting the body from bacterial, viral, fungal, or other infections and from foreign proteins (i.e., those proteins that differ from proteins normally found in the body). subfertile Definition:Reduced level of fertility characterized by unusually long time to conception (over 12 months) or repeated pregnancy losses. puberty Definition:The period in life during which humans become biologically capable of reproduction. ova Definition:Eggs of the female produced and stored within the ovaries (singular is ovum). menopause Definition:Cessation of the menstrual cycle and reproductive capacity in females. menstrual cycle Definition:An approximately four-week interval in which hormones direct a buildup of blood and nutrient stores within the wall of the uterus and ovum maturation and release. If the ovum is fertilized by a sperm, the stored blood and nutrients are used to support the growth of the fertilized ovum. If fertilization does not occur, they are released from the uterine wall over a period of 3-7 days. The period of blood flow is called the menses, or the menstrual period. Hypothalamus Definition:A section of the brain responsible for the production of many hormones and other chemical substances that affect body functions such as temperature regulation, thirst, hunger, sleep, mood, reproduction, and the release of other hormones within the body. pituitary gland Definition:A pea-sized gland located at the base of the brain. It is connected to the hypothalamus and produces and secretes growth hormone, prolactin, oxytocin, follicle-stimulating hormone, luteinizing hormone, and other hormones in response to signals from the hypothalamus. corpus luteum Definition:(corpus = body, luteum = yellow) A tissue about 12 mm in diameter formed from the follicle that contained the ovum prior to its release. It produces estrogen and progesterone. The "yellow body" derivation comes from the accumulation of lipid precursors of these hormones in the corpus luteum.