A couple visits a fertility clinic to determine the basis of their difficulty in conceiving a child. They are surprised to hear they will both be tested for levels of two of the same hormones, which play roles in the ovarian cycle and sperm production. Which hormones are they?

Question

A.  adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) and corticotropin-releasing hormone (CRH)
B.  insulin and glucagon
C.  oxytocin and luteinizing hormone (LH)
D.  follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) and luteinizing hormone (LH)

Clarify Question
What is the key concept addressed by the question?
What type of thinking is required?

Gather Content
What do you already know about sex hormones? What other information is related to the question?

Choose Answer
Given what you now know, what information is most likely to produce the correct answer?

Reflect on Process
Did your problem-solving process lead you to the correct answer? If not, where did the process break down or lead you astray? How can you revise your approach to produce a more desirable result?
 

Answer 1

D.  follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) and luteinizing hormone (LH)

Clarify Question
What is the key concept addressed by the question?
        · Which hormones play roles in both the ovarian cycle and sperm production?
What type of thinking is required?
            o This is an analyze question because you have to consider the roles of a number of hormones and match those roles to the proper pair of hormones.

Gather Content
What do you already know about sex hormones? What other information is related to the question?
        · The couple is being tested for the same hormones related to conceiving a child. Luteinizing hormone (LH) stimulates ovulation and corpus leteum formation in females and stimulates the secretion of testosterone in males. Follicle-stimulated hormone (FSH) stimulates spermatogenesis in males and the development of ovarian follicles in females.

Choose Answer
Given what you now know, what information is most likely to produce the correct answer?
        · You know that FSH is involved in both the production of sperm and eggs and that LH stimulates ovulation and testosterone secretion. Both are necessary for conceiving a child and so this is most likely the correct answer. But to make sure, let us consider the other alternatives. Insulin and glucagon are involved in the regulation of blood sugar levels. Adrenocotricotropic hormone and corticotropin-releasing hormone stimulate the release of adrenal cortical hormones such as cortisol, so it does not play a direct role in reproduction. Oxytocin does play a role in reproduction as it promotes uterine contraction in childbirth and milk let-down in nursing, and also promotes pair bonding and sexual arousal between mates. Although oxytocin and LH are both involved in reproduction, FSH and LH are the hormones that would most likely cause problems for conception if they were not regulated properly in both the male and female.

Reflect on Process
Did your problem-solving process lead you to the correct answer? If not, where did the process break down or lead you astray? How can you revise your approach to produce a more desirable result?
        o Answering this question correctly depended upon understanding the roles of various hormones, and determining which ones might cause a problem for conception. If you got the answer correct, great! If not, where did you go wrong? Did you think that ACTH and CRH were sex hormones? Did you remember that oxytocin is involved with reproduction and can affect both male and females, and so thought that these two hormones would affect fertility? Did you forget that insulin and glucagon are involved with the regulation of blood sugar?