Question

The production of cervical mucus is stimulated by

• A. Progesterone
• B. Estradiol
• C. Estriol
• D. Pregnenolone

Hint:

Estradiol makes cervical mucus abundant and thin around ovulation; progesterone does the opposite.

Answer 1

The Correct Option is B

Step 1: Understanding the Question:
The question asks which hormone drives the glands of the cervix to produce mucus.

Step 2: Key Formula or Approach:
Cervical mucus changes character across the menstrual cycle under the influence of the two main ovarian hormones, estrogen and progesterone, which act in opposite directions on the cervical glands.

Step 3: Detailed Explanation:
Around the time of ovulation, rising levels of estradiol, the main and most potent estrogen produced by the growing ovarian follicle, act on the cervical glands to increase both the amount and the water content of the mucus. This produces the thin, clear, stretchy mucus that lets sperm swim through easily around ovulation, the classic fertile type mucus.
Progesterone, which rises after ovulation from the corpus luteum, has the opposite effect, it makes the mucus thick, scanty and sticky, forming a plug that blocks sperm and bacteria from entering the uterus.
Estriol is a weaker estrogen mainly produced in large amounts during pregnancy by the placenta, it is not the main driver of cyclical cervical mucus changes.
Pregnenolone is an early steroid hormone precursor made from cholesterol, it is a building block for other steroid hormones but has no direct action on the cervical glands.

Step 4: Final Answer:
Estradiol stimulates the production of abundant, thin cervical mucus, so the correct option is (B).