PHASE
This is the time of Periods usually last
bleeding, or the period. between 3 to 7 days.
The internal lining of the
uterine wall
(endometrium) along with
other secretions from the
body are eliminated
through the vagina.
After menstruation, the This takes 1-13 days.
endometrium in the
uterus begins to thicken
or build up again. At the
same time, several follicles
start maturing in the
ovaries. Only one of these
maturing follicles will
complete
maturation. The rest will
eventually deteriorate and
disappear.
By the middle of the cycle,
around day 14, the
remaining mature follicle
releases its egg cell from
the ovary in the process of
ovulation (formation of a
mature egg cell by one of
the ovaries). Hormones
cause the chamber around
the egg (called the follicle)
to break open and release
the mature egg into the
fallopian tube.
During this stage, the
uterus is ready to receive
a fertilized egg. If the egg
has been fertilized by a
sperm cell, it attaches to
the thick, blood-filled
lining of the uterus. This
is the start of pregnancy.
If an egg is not fertilized,
the egg and the lining of
the uterus break down.
The extra blood and tissue
leave the body through the
vagina, and the woman
begins her period which
signifies the start of
another cycle.
DAYS
Ovulation lasts for 12 to
48 hours, but can also
reach up to seven days, or
maybe up to 10 days, and
if fertilization does not
occur during this phase,
the egg continues to the
uterus and dissolves
within 6 to 24 hours.
A normal luteal phase can
last anywhere from 11 to
17 days. In most women,
the luteal phase lasts 12
to 14 days.
EVENT
The elimination of the
internal lining of the
uterine wall along with
other secretions from the
body through the vagina.
It is caused by the low
amount of estrogen and
progesterone that allows
the shedding of the
uterine lining.
At the start of the
menstrual cycle, the
anterior pituitary gland
situated at the base of the
brain secretes a hormone
called FSH and stimulates
ovarian follicle to grow and
reach maturity. This
hormone produces 10 to
20 follicles in the ovary
and each follicle houses
an immature egg. These
follicles produce the
hormone estrogen, which
in turn thickens the lining
of the endometrium in
preparation to receive a
fertilized egg.
The release of estrogen
during the follicular phase
causes the brain to
produce a gonadotrophin-
releasing
hormone that prompts the
pituitary gland to produce
raised levels of
luteinizing hormone. This
extracts the mature egg
from the follicle (cyst) and
transports it from the
ovary to the fallopian tube.
During the luteal phase,
luteinizing hormone and
follicle-stimulating
hormone levels decrease.
The ruptured follicle closes
after releasing the egg and
forms a corpus luteum,
which produces
progesterone. During most
of this phase, the estrogen
level is high.