What roles do FSH and LH play in normal ovulation?

In the context of the female reproductive cycle, follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) and luteinizing hormone (LH) are gonadotropic hormones secreted by the pituitary gland that work in conjunction to regulate ovulation.312

Their roles in the process are as follows:

• FSH (Follicle-Stimulating Hormone): Primarily active during the first half of the menstrual cycle, FSH promotes the growth and maturation of Graafian follicles within the ovary. It also stimulates the synthesis of estrogens by the cells lining these follicles.345
• LH (Luteinizing Hormone): While FSH initiates development, a preovulatory surge in LH is essential for the rupture of the mature Graafian follicle, which releases the egg—the process of ovulation. Following ovulation, LH promotes the transformation of the ruptured follicle into the corpus luteum, an endocrine structure that secretes progesterone.64532

The interaction between these hormones is governed by a feedback loop: as estrogen levels rise, they inhibit further FSH output and stimulate the release of LH, triggering the mid-cycle surge necessary for ovulation.65