Female Menstrual Cycle

Female Menstrual Cycle
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Female Menstrual Cycle
The menstrual cycle, which lasts about 28 to 29 days, is a biofeedback process that is divided into four phases: the menstruation phase, the follicular phase, the ovulation phase, and the luteal phase. Each of these phases is controlled by various glands and their hormones. The menstruation phase begins when an egg from the preceding cycle fails to fertilize. Because there was no pregnancy, the levels of estrogen and progesterone hormones drop. The thickened linings of the uterus, which are now not needed to support pregnancy, are eliminated from the body through the vagina. After the menstruation phase comes the follicular phase which begins on the first day of menstruation and concludes with ovulation. This stage is characterized by the pituitary gland releasing follicle stimulating hormone which stimulates the production of five to twenty follicles by the ovary. Each follicle encloses an immature egg and only one will eventually develop into an egg while the rest die. As the follicle develops, the linings of the uterus thicken in readin...