Estrogen and progesterone are hormones responsible for controlling reproduction activities in mammals. They are quite popular in female mammals and they tend to perform different functions.
The lesson provides a comprehensive difference between estrogen and progesterone in a tabular form of easier understanding.
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What is Estrogen?
Estrogen is also known as oestrogen. It is a steroid female hormone secreted by the ovaries prior to ovulation. The hormone responsible for controlling the secretion of estrogen is a follicle-stimulating hormone.
The main purpose of the hormone is to induce enlargement of the breast and uterus during pregnancy. Besides that, it helps to mark the difference between male and female mammals.
Another key role of oestrogen in the body is the strengthening of bones and maintaining cholesterol levels in the body. Too much estrogen in males tends to result in unbalance.
What is Progesterone?
Progesterone is a female hormone secreted by the ovaries after ovulation. The hormone behind the control of progesterone secretion is the luteinizing hormone.
The main role of progesterone is to reduce the contraction of the uterus and stimulate the growth of mammary glands.
Besides that, the steroid hormone is released by the corpus luteum in the ovary. It helps to prepare the uterus for implantation and maintain the fertilized egg.
Comparison Chart: Estrogen Vs Progesterone
| Basic Terms | Estrogen | Progesterone |
| Meaning | Refers to the female hormone that controls the female reproductive system and sex characteristics | It is a hormone responsible for maintaining pregnancy by preparing the uterus for implantation and maintain elasticity |
| Secretion Control by | Follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) | Luteinizing hormone (LH) |
| Produced by | Growing Grafian follicle | Corpus luteum |
| Effect | Increase body fat and weight gain | Decreases body fat |
| Released by | Ovaries before ovulation | Ovaries after ovulation |
| Core Function | Enlargement of breasts and uterus during pregnancy | Contraction of uterus and growth of mammary glands |
| Amount during Pregnancy | Decreases | Increases |
| Cancer Risk | Risk of breast cancer | Reduces breast cancer risk |
| Effect in men | Causes unbalance | Work together with testosterone and has great benefits |
| Secretion during pregnancy | Placenta | Corpus luteum |
Core Differences: Oestrogen vs Progesterone
- Oestrogen is a female hormone that triggers the development of female sex characteristics while progesterone is a hormone that prepares the uterus for implantation and maintains pregnancy
- Estrogen is released by ovaries before ovulation while progesterone is released by ovaries after ovulation
- The amount of estrogen decreases during pregnancy while progesterone increases during pregnancy.
- The secretion of estrogen during pregnancy is done by the placenta while progesterone by Corpus luteum.
- Excess amount of estrogen in man causes unbalance while progesterone work together with testosterone for great benefits
- Estrogen increases the risk of breast cancer while progesterone reduces the risk of breast cancer
- Estrogen is responsible for the enlargement of breast and uterus during pregnancy while progesterone for the contraction of the uterus and maintaining mammary glands
- The secretion of estrogen is controlled by Follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) while that of progesterone by Luteinizing hormone (LH)
- Estrogen is produced by Growing Grafian follicles while progesterone by Corpus luteum.
- Estrogen causes increase weight gain and body fat while progesterone decreases body fat
Core Similarities between Estrogen and Progesterone
- Both are female sex hormones
- Both are types of steroid hormones
- Play a key role during pregnancy and menstrual cycle
- Both are present in oral contraceptive
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Comparison Video
Summary
The core difference between estrogen and progesterone is that estrogen induces enlargement of breasts and uterus during pregnancy while progesterone reduces the contraction of the uterus and stimulates the growth of mammary glands.