Home > Progesterone
Progesterone is a steroid hormone involved in the female menstrual cycle, pregnancy (supports gestation) and embryogenesis of humans and other species.
Progesterone levels vary during the menstrual cycle and it is an ingredient of most birth control pills where it acts by arresting the cycle. Progestrone antagonists, such as RU-486 ( Mifepristone), can also be used to prevent conception or induce medical abortions.
It has a number of physiological effects, usually to normalize or restore changes to the body caused by estrogen.
These effects include normalizing blood clotting and vascular tone, zinc and copper levels, cellstained for keratin The cell is the structural and functional unit of all living organisms. Some organisms, such as bacteria, are unicellular, consisting of a single cell. Other organisms, such as humans, are multicellular, (humans have an estimated 100,0 oxygenOxygen is the chemical element in the periodic table that has the symbol O and atomic number 8. The element is very common, found not only on Earth but throughout the universe. Molecular oxygen (O, often called free oxygen on Earth is thermodynamically un levels, and use of fat stores for energy.
Progesterone also assists in thyroidIn anatomy, the thyroid ( IPA theta;airo id) is an endocrine gland. It is situated on the front side of the neck at the level of C5 and T1 vertebral bodies, just below the Adam's apple, near the thyroid cartilage over the trachea but covered by layers of function and bone building by osteoblastAn osteoblast (from the Greek words for " bone" and "to build") is a cell which produces osteoid. Osteoblasts arise when osteoprogenitor cells ( mesenchymal cells), which are located near all bony surfaces, differentiate under the influence of FGF, PDGF,s, and appears to prevent endometrial cancerEndometrial cancer involves cancerous growth of the endometrium (lining of the uterus). Causes Endometrial cancer is the most common type of uterine cancer. Although the exact cause of endometrial cancer is unknown, increased levels of estrogen appear to (involving the uterine lining) and breast cancerBreast cancer is cancer of breast tissue. Worldwide, it is the most common form of cancer in females, affecting approximately 10% of all women at some stage of their life in the Western world. Although significant efforts are made to achieve early detecti.
Progesterone is secreted in the second half of the menstrual cycle (after ovulationOvulation is the process of discharging a mature ovum (egg) from an ovary after a Graafian follicle representing the final stage of follicular development before ovulation has been formed. Ovulation in humans In humans, ovulation happens approximately 14) by granulosa cells of the corpus luteum. If pregnancy does not occur, progesteone levels will decrease.
If conception has occurred, hCG produced by the embryo causes the corpus luteum to maintain progesterone production until the placenta itself can produce enough progesterone.
In addition progesterone inhibits lactation during pregnancy. The fall progesterone levels following delivery is one of the trigers for milk production.
1 Chemistry
Like other steroids, progesterone consists of four interconnected cyclic hydrocarbons. Progesterone contains ketone and aldehyde functional groups, as well as two methyl branches. Like all steroid hormones, it is hydrophobic. This is mostly due to its lack of very polar functional groups.
