Grace Esparar III-ST. AGNES 1.

Ovulation a) Describe Ovulation Ovulation is the release of an egg (ovum) from one of the ovaries. For most women, ovulation occurs about once every month until menopause, apart from episodes of pregnancy and breastfeeding. Symptoms of ovulation may include vaginal discharge (mucus), abdominal pain and a slight rise in body temperature after ovulation. Ovulation predictor kits can help manage fertility and achieve a pregnancy. b) Describe Ovulation Process The process in the menstrual cycle by which a mature ovarian follicle ruptures and discharges an ovum (also known as an oocyte, female gamete, or casually, an egg) that participates in reproduction. Ovulation also occurs in the estrous cycle of other animals, which differs in many fundamental ways from the menstrual cycle. When the egg has nearly matured, the level of estradiol in the body has increased enough to trigger a sudden release of luteinizing hormone (LH) from the anterior pituitary gland. In the average cycle this LH surge starts around cycle day 12 and may last 48 hours. The release of LH matures the egg and weakens the wall of the follicle in the ovary, causing the fully developed follicle to release its secondary oocyte.The secondary oocyte promptly matures into an ootid and then becomes a mature ovum. The mature ovum has a diameter of about 0.2 mm. Which of the two ovariesleft or rightovulates appears essentially random; no known left/right co-ordination exists. Occasionally, both ovaries will release an egg; if both eggs are fertilized, the result is fraternal twins. After being released from the ovary, the egg is swept into the fallopian tube by the fimbria, which is a fringe of tissue at the end of each fallopian tube. After about a day, an unfertilized egg will disintegrate or dissolve in the fallopian tube. 2. Fertilization Outline: 1. The zygote, or fertilized ovum, then develops into an embryo and it stays in the uterus. 2. The placenta, a mass of blood vessels that link the embryo to its mother, is produced when the embryo is implanted in the uterus. The embryo is connected to the placenta through the umbilical cord. 3. Food and oxygen from the mothers bloodstream enter the placenta and pass through the umbilical cord into the embryo. Waste and carbon dioxide from the

body are carried back along the umbilical cord to the placenta. These wastes are discharged in the mothers urine. 4. After eight weeks, the embryo becomes a fetus. The ears, mouth, and nose are formed. The hands and feet grow fingers and toes. 5. The fetus continues to grow every day. On the seventh month, the fetus develops hair and nails. It takes about nine months for the fetus to develop well enough to leave the mothers womb. However, a child may be born premature after the seventh month. 6. The miracle of reproduction is repeated every time a new human being is born.