A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z
Amenorrhea: a condition in which a woman has no menstrual periods.
Basic Research: studies limited to the laboratory or to animals and aimed at understanding the human body and its diseases at the most fundamental level
Chromosomes: the thin strands of genetic material found in the nucleus of each cell that determine each person’s characteristics. Every individual has 22 pairs of chromosomes and one pair of sex chromosomes (called X and Y). The sex chromosomes determine whether an individual is male or female. A female ordinarily has 2 X-chromosomes, while a male has one X and one Y chromosome.
Corpus Luteum: a yellow cellular mass that forms in the ovary from a follicle that has ovulated; secretes progesterone, hormonally regulates the second half of the menstrual cycle and is essential to sustaining the first seven weeks of pregnancy.
DHEA: Dehydroepiandrosterone (pronounced dee-hi-dro-epp-ee-ann-dro-stehr-own), or DHEA as it is more often called, is a steroid hormone produced in the adrenal gland. It is the most abundant steroid in the bloodstream and is present at even higher levels in brain tissue. DHEA levels are known to fall 90% from age 20 to age 90. DHEA is known to be a precursor to the numerous steroid sex hormones (including estrogen and testosterone) which serve well-known functions, but the specific biological role of DHEA itself is not completely understood as of yet.
Dominant Follicle: the largest ovarian follicle that develops during each menstrual cycle. It is the follicle that will ovulate.
Estradiol: one of the three major estrogen hormones women produce. This estrogen dominates from puberty to menopause and is by far the most powerful estrogen. The ovarian follicle produces it as it develops during the first half of the menstrual cycle and by the corpus luteum after ovulation.
Follicle-Stimulating Hormone (FSH): the hormone produced by the pituitary gland in response to GnRH released by the hypothalamus. It stimulates the follicles in the ovary to develop.
Galactosemia: a rare genetic metabolic disorder. A gene for Galactosemia must be inherited from both parents who are carriers. It is an autosomal recessive condition. Normally when a person consumes a product that contains lactose (for example, milk), the body breaks galactose down into galactose and glucose. Glucose is the sugar used by the body for energy. Galactosemia means too much galactose in the blood caused by the individual missing the enzyme to convert galactose into glucose. Men with Galactosemia have normal gonadotropin function. In women it is still unclear if the POF is due to follicle depletion or follicle dysfunction.
Gonads: in women these are the ovaries.
Gonadotropins: the hormones produced by the pituitary gland that regulate the gonads. In women they regulate the development of the eggs. The most important ones are follicle- stimulating hormone (FSH) and Luteinizing hormone (LH).
Gonadotropin Releasing Hormone (GnRH): a hormone which is produced by the hypothalamus in the brain. It stimulates the pituitary gland to produce and release both LH and FSH.
Health Management Organization (HMO): is a form of health insurance combining a range of coverages in a group basis. A group of doctors and other medical professionals offer care through the HMO for a flat monthly rate with no deductibles. However, only visits to professionals within the HMO network are covered by the policy. All visits, prescriptions and other care must be cleared by the HMO in order to be covered. A primary physician within the HMO handles referrals.
Human Menopausal Gonadotropin (hMG): a hormone preparation used to stimulate ovulation in women who do not ovulate and who don’t respond to Clomid. It contains equal amounts of FSH and LH, and until recently, was obtained from the urine of postmenopausal women, since FSH and LH are so high in such women. Recently they have developed a process to synthesize this in a laboratory, so most brands are no longer made from human urine.
Hypothalamus: an organ in the endocrine system located just above the pituitary gland in the brain. It produces and secretes gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) that influences the pituitary gland and regulates the development and activity of the ovaries among its many functions.
Hysterosalpingogram (HSG): a test most commonly done to determine whether or not the fallopian tubes are blocked. It is a x-ray test that involves an injection of dye through the cervix and into the uterus.
Hysterectomy: this word literally means “removal of the uterus,” but in practice is used to refer to the removal of a variety of women’s reproductive organs: the uterus, the ovaries, the cervix, and/or the fallopian tubes. If you have had a hysterectomy, it is a good idea to be sure of which organs you have had removed and which remain.
Luteinizing Hormone (LH): produced by the pituitary. The production increases near the middle of the menstrual cycle and causes the maturation of the egg. Ovulation occurs approximately 24: 36 hours after the LH surge.
Ovaries: female reproductive organs which contain the eggs and produce the female hormones, primarily estrogen and progesterone in addition to being responsible for about half of the testosterone produced in women’s bodies. There are two, one located on either side of the uterus. During a woman’s fertile years, the ovaries are about the size of the end of your thumb. After natural menopause, ovaries normally shrink. Likewise, women with POF often have smaller than normal sized ovaries. The ovary is both an organ and a gland. As an organ, it is a ball of eggs. As a gland, it produces hormones.
Primary Amenorrhea: a woman who has never had a spontaneous menstrual bleed in her life.
Reproductive Endocrinologist (RE): has additional training, advanced knowledge and skill in the management of complex problems relating to hormone imbalances and difficulty in achieving or maintaining a pregnancy. It requires additional years of specialized, formal training with ongoing clinical competency testing after a four-year residency and board certification in obstetrics and gynecology. Many board certified Reproductive Endocrinologists are involved in clinical and basic science research.
Secondary Amenorrhea: a woman who has menstruated spontaneously in the past but then has had no periods for six months or more.
Turner Syndrome: is a chromosomal condition that exclusively affects females. It occurs when one of two ‘X’ chromosomes normally found in a female is missing or incomplete. The sex chromosomes determine whether an individual is male or female; they influence height as well
as the development of sex organs. A female ordinarily has two ‘X’ chromosomes, while a man has one ‘X’ and one ‘Y’ chromosome. The reason for the total or partial loss of the chromosome usually cannot be found but the loss occurs soon after that baby is conceived. There is nothing either parent can do to prevent this from happening. It is a random genetic event.
