The Production of Hormones
The ovaries, just as the testicles, also produce certain hormones. These gonadal hormones have been divided into female hormones (estrogens) and male hormones (androgens). However, these terms are somewhat misleading because both "female" and "male" hormones can be found in every female and male body. It is only the quantity and balance of these hormones that differs in the two sexes. In addition to estrogens (and androgens), the ovaries of a sexually mature female also produce a hormone called progesterone. The production of progesterone takes place mainly in association with the corpus luteum (lat.: yellow body) which is formed from the wall of the ruptured follicle after ovulation. During a women's fertile years, the estrogens as well as progesterone play an important role in her reproductive cycle.