Menstruation/Menstrual Cycle Flashcards
what is menstruation…
lining of the uterus breaks down and is lost through the vagina
The girl will bleed from her vagina and may call it ‘having a period’.
how long does menstruation last on average?
3 - 5 days but can vary.
what is ovulation?
when an egg cell is released from an ovary
When a girl is born, her ovaries already contain all the eggs they will ever have. Once a girl reaches sexual maturity, one of these eggs matures and is released from an ovary each month.
When is an egg normally released from the ovary to the uterus during the menstrual cycle?
Day 14.
what is the menstrual cycle?
cycle of events that continually happen in the female reproductive system once a woman has reached sexual maturity (gone through puberty)
How long does the menstrual cycle normally last?
28 days.
What happens on day 1 in the menstrual cycle?
lining of the uterus breaks down and is lost through the vagina.
This is called menstruation or ‘having a period’ – the girl will start bleeding from the vagina
What happens on day 4/5 in the menstrual cycle?
bleeding usually stops (but this varies for different women) and the lining of the uterus starts to build up (grow) again
Lining builds up.
An egg cell will start to mature in one of the ovaries
What happens on day 14 in the menstrual cycle?
an egg cell is released from one of the ovaries, this is called ovulation. Lining is maintained
The egg cell starts to travel down the oviduct towards the uterus. The lining of the uterus stays thick ready to receive a fertilised egg
What happens on day 28 in the menstrual cycle?
Lining breaks down once again as if the egg cell is not fertilised by a sperm cell while it is in the oviduct, the lining of the uterus breaks down again and the cycle is repeated – day 1 starts again
