Congratulations to two undergraduates in the laboratory of Teresa Woodruff who have received fellowships for work in the summer. Denise Lo , a Junior, was awarded an Endocrine Society Summer Research Fellowship. Kate Randall , also a Junior, has received a WCAS summer fellowship. The stimulus that promotes ovulation of the ovarian follicle also leads to the conversion of the follicle into the corpus luteum. The corpus luteum is the structure in the ovary which produces progesterone to maintain pregnancy.
Progesterone is also a major ingredient in birth control pills.
By preventing the stimulus that promotes ovulation and corpus luteum formation, both fertilization and pregnancy are prevented. LH levels in the blood remain significantly elevated in humans for approximately 24 hours. With the initial rise in blood LH levels, LH binds to receptors on the surface of ovarian granulosa and thecal cells, resulting in the activation of the receptor. The active LH receptor then initiates a signal which is propagated via a signal transduction pathway to the nucleus. The signal reaches the nucleus within one minute of LH receptor activation.