Did you know that women are born with two million eggs in their ovaries?! Each month, a woman of reproductive age will ovulate. Ovulation is when an egg bursts from the ovary and travels down the fallopian tube into the uterus. Simultaneously, the mucous membrane that lines the inside of the uterus, known as the endometrium, grows thick and rich with blood vessels in preparation for pregnancy in case the egg becomes fertilized.
A healthy reproductive age female body will undergo this cycle each month with the intention to bring potential new life into this world. If the egg cell is not fertilized, it undergoes apoptosis, a programmed cell death, and dies. Simultaneously, the endometrium sheds its uppermost mucous layer and discharges through the vaginal canal, giving rise to what is called “menstrual bleeding.” With this process can come a range of symptoms such as mood changes, bloating, irritability, collectively known as “premenstrual syndrome” or PMS. Since the beginning of time, this biological process has been responsible for sustaining our entire human species. It is also the reason each one of us once called our mother’s uterus ‘home’ for nine months! As scientists learn more about the biological processes a woman’s body undergoes, it helps us to appreciate the timely order and consistency with which the human body functions.
Written by: Navpreet Singh Badesha
©05/30/2018 All Rights Reserved.
Art found on: Cycles + Sex
This Research on Menstruation was published in the National Library of Medicine.
