Optometry Admission Test (OAT) Practice

Disable ads (and more) with a membership for a one time $2.99 payment

Prepare for the Optometry Admission Test with our detailed quizzes and targeted questions. Enhance your skills with every attempt, using hints and explanations for each question. Ace your OAT exam!

Each practice test/flash card set has 50 randomly selected questions from a bank of over 500. You'll get a new set of questions each time!

Practice this question and more.

What function does estrogen serve in the female body?

Regulates blood pressure
Develops immune response
Maintains female secondary sexual characteristics
Stimulates muscle growth

The correct answer is: Maintains female secondary sexual characteristics

Estrogen plays a crucial role in maintaining female secondary sexual characteristics, which are features that distinguish females from males beyond the reproductive organs. These characteristics include breast development, wider hips, and a generally more feminized body shape. Estrogen is essential during puberty for the growth and development of these features and continues to play a significant role in their maintenance throughout a woman's life. The hormone is also important for regulating various aspects of the menstrual cycle and reproductive health, influencing processes such as ovulation and the development of the endometrium. This impact on reproductive organs and secondary sexual traits is central to the physiological differences between genders, affirming estrogen's key role in female sexual development and function.