Parturition
Hardbiology
Which factor significantly increases uterine contractions near term?
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Solution
Incorrect! Answer:
High oxytocin receptors sensitivity
- Parturition Mechanism: The process of childbirth is induced by a complex neuroendocrine mechanism.
- Hormonal Shift: Toward the end of pregnancy, the ratio of estrogen to progesterone rises.
- Receptor Regulation: High estrogen levels cause the uterine muscle (myometrium) to increase its sensitivity to oxytocin by synthesizing more oxytocin receptors.
- Positive Feedback: Uterine contractions stimulate the fetal ejection reflex, leading to more oxytocin release from the maternal posterior pituitary, which in turn causes stronger contractions.
- Prostaglandins: These also increase (not decline) to soften the cervix and enhance contractions.
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About This Question
- Subject
- biology
- Chapter
- reproduction
- Topic
- parturition
- Difficulty
- Hard
- Year
- 2025
Solution
Correct Answer:
High oxytocin receptors sensitivity
- Parturition Mechanism: The process of childbirth is induced by a complex neuroendocrine mechanism.
- Hormonal Shift: Toward the end of pregnancy, the ratio of estrogen to progesterone rises.
- Receptor Regulation: High estrogen levels cause the uterine muscle (myometrium) to increase its sensitivity to oxytocin by synthesizing more oxytocin receptors.
- Positive Feedback: Uterine contractions stimulate the fetal ejection reflex, leading to more oxytocin release from the maternal posterior pituitary, which in turn causes stronger contractions.
- Prostaglandins: These also increase (not decline) to soften the cervix and enhance contractions.
This hard difficulty biology question is from the chapter reproduction, covering the topic of parturition. It appeared in the 2025 exam.
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