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Female Reproductive (Ovarian) Cycle Menstrual Cycle
Female Reproductive (Ovarian) Cycle Menstrual Cycle
1- Bleeding phase: .
● The duration of this phase is about 4 to 5 days.
● This phase is characterised by bleeding through vagina.
● The First day of bleeding is counted as first day of menstrual
cycle. By 5th days, bleeding usually stopped and ovary starts
forming the fresh Graafian follicles.
● If there is no fertilization, then the degenerated debris of
endometrium and blood from ruptured capillaries are expelled
out from uterus, through vagina (due to fall in the LH and
progesterone levels.)
2- proliferative phase:
● The duration of this phase is about 6th to 14th days.
● This phase is characterised by,
-rapid proliferation of uterine endometrium and
-growth and development of Graafian follicles.
This occurs under the effects of high doses of FSH and
increasing levels of Estrogens (secreted by Graafian follicles)
● By 14th days, the growth of Graafian follicle is completed and on
14th days, Ovulation occurs.
3- Secretory phase:
● The duration of this phase is about 15th to 28th days of
menstrual cycle.
● From 15th day(after ovulation), the proliferation of endometrium
stops.
● In this phase, endometrium become highly vascular and
glandular which secrete more and more mucus (uterine milk).
● The remains Graafian follicle develop into Corpus luteum,
which secretes progesterone.
● The released ovum (after ovulation), is picked up by fallopian
tube. Here, if sperms are available, fertilization occurs.
● The uterus now wait for the fertilised egg by about 21th days of
menstrual cycle. If fertilization does not occur, then endometrium
of uterus undergoes degeneration.
● This degeneration occur upto the 28th days of the menstrual
cycle. Now bleeding phase again start, which marks the onset of
new menstrual cycle.
Note- if fertilization occurs, then endometrium does not degenerate,
through out the pregnancy period (9 month), due to high levels of
progesterone. Therefore, during pregnancy, there is no
menstruation.