Question

nancy is 8 months pregnant. her physician mentioned that the placental lh - like hormone levels had decreased. should nancy be concerned?
multiple choice
yes; a drop in the secretion of an lh - like substance this late in the pregnancy will disrupt normal embryonic development.
no; the placenta doesnt normally secrete an lh - like substance at any time during pregnancy.
yes; the secretion of an lh - like substance by the placenta throughout the pregnancy is necessary to maintain the pregnancy.
no; the secretion of an lh - like substance by the placenta is important in the first trimester, and nancys pregnancy is beyond the first trimester.

Explanation:

Human Chorionic Gonadotropin (hCG), which is an LH - like hormone secreted by the placenta, is crucial in the first trimester. It acts to maintain the corpus luteum, which produces progesterone to sustain the pregnancy. By the second trimester, the placenta itself takes over the production of progesterone (and other hormones), and the role of hCG (the LH - like hormone in this context) becomes less critical. Since Nancy is 8 months pregnant (third trimester), beyond the first trimester when the LH - like placental hormone (hCG) was more essential.

Answer:

No; the secretion of an LH - like substance by the placenta is important in the first trimester, and Nancy's pregnancy is beyond the first trimester.