Final answer:
Gonadotropins follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) and luteinizing hormone (LH) control the reproductive system by stimulating the maturation of sperm cells in males and egg cells in females, respectively. Estrogens, produced by the ovaries, are responsible for the development of secondary sex characteristics in females and the maturation of ova.
Step-by-step explanation:
The reproductive system is controlled by the gonadotropins follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) and luteinizing hormone (LH), which are produced by the pituitary gland. Gonadotropin release is controlled by the hypothalamic hormone gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH). FSH stimulates the maturation of sperm cells in males and is inhibited by the hormone inhibin, while LH stimulates the production of the androgen testosterone. FSH stimulates egg maturation in females, while LH stimulates the production of estrogens and progesterone.
Estrogens are a group of steroid hormones produced by the ovaries that trigger the development of secondary sex characteristics in females as well as control the maturation of the ova. In females, the pituitary also produces prolactin, which stimulates milk production after childbirth, and oxytocin, which stimulates uterine contraction during childbirth and milk let-down during suckling.