SCIENCE_BIOLOGY_gX

HORMONE FEEDBACK
AND PREGNANCY
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Hormone Feedback and Pregnancy

A zygote or a fertilized egg is formed when a sperm successfully penetrates
the nuclei fuse. A fertilization membrane develops to prevent other sperms
to further penetrate the egg. This process wherein the sperms’ nucleus and
the ovum’s unite is called fertilization. It usually takes place while the egg is
traveling along the oviduct or fallopian tube. It will take about 7 to 10 days
for an egg, fertilized or not, to reach the uterus.
Upon successful implantation of a developing embryo in the endometrium,
the developing embryo and the uterine lining jointly form a special organ
called the placenta. This will provide nourishment for the embryo. It also
secretes the hormone called human chorionic gonadotropin (HCG), which
is related to LH since they act on the same receptor. Remember that the LH
maintains the corpus luteum. With the corpus luteum intact, progesterone
production is maintained and the uterine wall will not menstruate. HCG
actually passes in the urine. It is the same hormone detected in pregnancy
tests. If the embryo is abnormal or if it dies, HCG will drop and the
endometrium will disintegrate causing a woman to have a miscarriage.
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Summary of the stages of reproduction:

1. Egg cells are formed in each ovary.
2. Each month, one ovary releases an egg. Normally
, only one egg is released about every 28 days.
The ovaries usually take turns in releasing the eggs.
3.Once released from the ovary, the egg moves into
a tube called oviduct. Oviducts are tube-like organs
that connect the ovaries to the uterus. The uterus
is a muscular organ in which the fertilized egg
develops.
4. Sperm cells are released into the vagina during mating. The vagina is a muscular tube that leads from
the outside of the female’s body to the uterus. Sperm cells swim from the vagina into the uterus and into
the oviducts. If an egg is present, fertilization takes place. Once fertilized, the egg moves down the
oviduct into the uterus.
5. The fertilized egg then attaches itself into the wall of the uterus which is called implantation. Once
attached, it will remain there for nine months as it develops into a baby.
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Ectopic pregnancy
>results if implantation occurs
anywhere other than the uterine
cavity. The most common site of
ectopic pregnancy is in the
fallopian tube. Implantation in the
fallopian tube can be fatal and can
cause the tube to rupture. In some
cases, implantation can occur in the
mesenteries of the abdominal cavity
and the fetus can develop normally,
but must be delivered by caesarian
section.
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As a summary, outlined below are the different processes involved during pregnancy.
Ovulation
This refers to the release of a mature egg from the ovary. It usually takes place on the 14th day from
the first day of menstruation if the cycle is a 28-day cycle.
Fertilization
When a sperm encounters an egg cell in the fallopian tube, it releases digestive enzymes. Those
enzymes clear the path for the sperm nucleus to fuse with the nucleus of the ovum or egg cell. A
zygote is now formed.
Implantation
This occurs before the end of the first week. By this process, the zygote attaches to the uterine lining,
and some of its cells send out projections that has been part of the maternal tissue. The inner cell mass
becomes the embryonic disc. This disc will give rise to the embryo proper during the week following
implantation.
Birth or Parturition
“Happy birthday!” is a very common greeting to mark the anniversary of a person’s birth. Birth takes
place about 39 weeks after fertilization. The birth process begins when the uterus starts to contract. For
the next two to eighteen hours, the contraction becomes stronger and more frequent. The cervical
canal dilates fully and the amniotic sac ruptures. Birth typically occurs less than an hour after full
dilation. Immediately afterward, uterine contraction forces fluid, blood and the placenta out of the body.
The umbilical cord is now cut, and the newborn embarks on its nurtured existence in the outside world.