SB7c: The Menstrual Cycle Flashcards
Contraception
The prevention of pregnancy.
Fertilisation
Fusing of a male gamete with a female gamete.
Menopause
When the menstrual cycle stops completely.
Menstrual cycle
A monthly cycle involving the reproductive organs in women.
Menstruation
The breakdown and loss of the thickened part of the uterus lining at the start of a woman’s menstrual cycle.
Oestrogen
A hormone produced by the ovaries which is important in the menstrual cycle.
Ovulation
The release of an egg from an ovary.
Period
The ‘bleed’ that occurs during menstruation.
Pregnancy
The time during which a fertilised egg develops in the uterus until the birth of the baby.
Progesterone
One of the hormones released by the ovaries.
Puberty
The stage of life when the body develops in ways that make it able to reproduce (e.g. production of sperm cells in testes, and the release of egg cells from ovaries).