Researchers have observed that declines in amphibian populations are more pronounced near cities and towns, and especially in habitats associated with waste water treatment facilities. Could high numbers of women taking birth control pills in these densely populated areas really be responsible for frog population declines? In this activity, you will reconstruct the connections underlying the hypothesis that human birth control is causing frog population declines near cities and towns.

Place the steps leading from birth control pills to frog population declines in order.

2. women who take birth control pills

3. wastewater treatment plants

4. male frogs in ponds

5. male frogs that absorb estrogen

6 ... reduced male fertility

women who take birth control pills wastewater treatment plants male frogs in ponds male frogs that absorb estrogen reduced male fertility

Explanation:

Birth control pills are generally used by women to prevent pregnancy. These pills are true estrogen capsules that are highly harmful to the frog population.

When women take contraceptives frequently, their urine is contaminated with large amounts of estrogen. This urine ends up being part of the sewage that must be treated in the wastewater treatment plants. Unfortunately, these stations do not treat the water's estrogen, which ends up contaminating rivers and lakes.

Water contaminated with estrogen ends up being absorbed by male frogs. Estrogen is a female hormone that leaves males feminized and reduces their fertility. With reduced fertility, the population starts to decrease in size, because there are more deaths of frogs than births.