Read the paragraph and answer the Question given below:
Humans are sexually reproducing and viviparous. The male reproductive system is composed of a pair of testes the male sex accessory ducts and the accessory glands and external genitalia. The female reproductive system consists of a pair of ovaries a pair of oviducts, a uterus, a vagina, external genitalia and pair of mammary glands. The reproductive cycle of female primates is called menstrual cycle. Menstrual cycle starts only after attaining sexual maturation (puberty). Coitus followed by fertilization leads to formation of zygote. After 9 months of pregnancy, the fully developed foetus is ready for delivery.
Which hormone is essential for maintenance of endometrium during luteal phase?
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 3
The correct answer is Option (3) → Progesterone
Option (1) Lutinising Hormone — Incorrect. Luteinising hormone (LH) comes from the anterior pituitary. Its LH surge in the middle of the cycle causes ovulation and the formation of the corpus luteum, but LH does not keep the endometrium itself.
Option (2) Relaxin — Incorrect. Relaxin is a hormone of pregnancy. It softens the ligaments of the pelvis and the cervix to prepare for childbirth; it has no role in keeping the endometrium in the luteal phase.
Option (3) Progesterone — Correct. In the luteal phase, the ruptured Graafian follicle becomes the corpus luteum, which secretes large amounts of progesterone. Progesterone is essential for the maintenance of the endometrium, needed for implantation and pregnancy.
Option (4) Follicle Stimulating Hormone — Incorrect. FSH acts in the follicular phase. It stimulates the growth of the ovarian follicles, before ovulation.
Note 1: The passage is taken from NCERT. NTA has put lines of the NCERT text together to make it. Most CUET (UG) questions come straight from NCERT, so study the book line by line, including figures and their titles.
Note 2: A similar question was also asked in CUET (UG) 2026 on 18-05-2026 (Slot 1), and in CUET (UG) 2025 on 03-06-2025 (Slot 2) and on 28-05-2025 (Slot 1).
NCERT Extract:
Menstrual Cycle – “… The ovulation (ovulatory phase) is followed by the luteal phase during which the remaining parts of the Graafian follicle transform as the corpus luteum (Figure 2.9). The corpus luteum secretes large amounts of progesterone which is essential for maintenance of the endometrium. Such an endometrium is necessary for implantation of the fertilised ovum and other events of pregnancy.”
