Alila Academy

The menstrual cycle is a term used to describe monthly events that occur within a woman’s body in preparation for the possibility of pregnancy. Each month, an egg is released from an ovary in a process called ovulation. At the same time, the lining of the uterus thickens, ready for pregnancy. If fertilization does not take place, the lining of the uterus is shed in menstrual bleeding and the cycle starts over.

An ovary contains hundreds of thousands of primary oocytes, immature eggs, or ova. Each of these is enclosed in a structure called a follicle, and at this stage, a primordial follicle.

The menstrual cycle is under control of hormones secreted by the pituitary gland and the ovaries.  The pituitary itself is under control of the hypothalamus.

The hypothalamus produces a hormone called the gonadotropin-releasing hormone, GnRH. 

Subscribe to one of the courses below to continue!