Feedback

Mechanisms
in the
Female
Reproductive
System
 Direction: Observe the four pictures and solve the puzzle by working out
what the word is. Every box corresponds to a certain letter.

WHAT’S THE
WORD?
 This process only occurs
among females. It is a
normal vaginal bleeding
that occurs as part of a
female’s monthly cycle
which is known as
menstruation.
 The Menstrual Cycle
Is a monthly series of changes in the
woman’s body, brought about by
reproductive hormones, which serves as
preparation for possible pregnancy.
At puberty, the pituitary gland starts a series of
hormonal changes that render a woman fertile
(capable of pregnancy). This hormonal changes
and the effects they produce is called Menstrual
Cycle.
A female experiences body changes even before
the first menstruation which is also known as
menarche.
The female secondary sex characteristics include
the development of the breast; growth of underarm
and pubic hair; rounded body shapes brought
about by a widespread layer of fat in areas like the
abdomen, hips and thighs; widening of the hips in
preparation for childbirth; and the development of
higher pitched voice.
 The Menstrual Cycle
▪ It is about 28 days (changes in the ovary
and uterus takes place)
▪ It starts from the first day of menstruation
to the first day of the next menstruation.
▪ Blood and some accompanying
endometrial tissues flow out of the vagina
in a process called menstruation.
 Phases of Menstrual Cycle
The day count for menstrual cycle begins on the
first day of menstruation when blood starts to
come out of the vagina. The entire duration of a
Menstrual cycle can be divided into four main
phases:
1.Menstrual phase (From day 1 to 5)
2.Follicular phase (From day 1 to 13)
3.Ovulation phase (Day 14)
4.Luteal phase (From day 15 to 28)
*In this section, the length of menstrual cycle has been assumed to be 28 days
(which is the average among women).
• The regular shedding of tissues and blood from the inner lining of the uterus
happens during this phase. This discharge of blood is called as menstruation
or period.
• The length of this phase varies in girls, but it usually happens for 5-7 days.
Menstrual phase (day 1-5)
• Menstrual phase begins on
the first day of menstruation
and lasts till the 5th day of the
menstrual cycle. The following
events occur during this
phase:
• The uterus sheds its inner
lining of soft tissue and blood
vessels which exits the body
from the vagina in the form of
menstrual fluid.
• Blood loss of 10 ml to 80 ml is
considered normal.
• You may experience
abdominal cramps. These
cramps are caused by the
contraction of the uterine and
the abdominal muscles to
expel the menstrual fluid.
•During this phase, the uterine lining starts to
thicken with new layer of tissue.
•Meanwhile, an egg is developing inside the ovary.
Follicular phase (day 1-13)
This phase also begins on the first day
of menstruation, but it lasts till the
13th day of the menstrual cycle. The
following events occur during this
phase:
•The pituitary gland secretes a
hormone that stimulates the egg cells
in the ovaries to grow.
•One of these egg cells begins to
mature in a sac-like-structure called
follicle. It takes 13 days for the egg cell
to reach maturity.
•While the egg cell matures, its follicle
secretes a hormone that stimulates
the uterus to develop a lining of blood
vessels and soft tissue called
endometrium.
 • It is the day when an egg
may be released from
any of the two ovaries.
• It is half-way in the
menstrual cycle.

NOTE: The egg cell can only survive 12- 24 hours after ovulation. However,
conception can still occur within a six-day window, the five days leading up to
ovulation and the day of ovulation, because sperm can live in the female body
for up to five days.
Ovulation phase (day 14)
On the 14th day of the
cycle, the pituitary gland
secretes a hormone that
causes the ovary to release
the matured egg cell. The
released egg cell is swept
into the fallopian tube by
the cilia of the fimbriae.
Fimbriae are finger like
projections located at the
end of the fallopian tube
close to the ovaries and cilia
are slender hairlike
projections on each Fimbria.
• If the egg was NOT fertilized, hormonal changes
signal the uterus to PREPARE to shed its lining. This
is called the luteal phase, and this happens right after
ovulation and lasts until the next menstruation.
Luteal phase (day 15-28)
This phase begins on the 15th
day and lasts till the end of the
cycle. The following events
occur during this phase:
•The egg cell released during
the ovulation phase stays in the
fallopian tube for 24 hours.
•If a sperm cell does not
impregnate the egg cell within
that time, the egg cell
disintegrates.
•The hormone that causes the
uterus to retain its
endometrium gets used up by
the end of the menstrual cycle.
This causes the menstrual
phase of the next cycle to
begin.
Have you experienced menstrual cramps?
Probably yes, you have.
In reality, some females experience menstrual cramps every
month.
Did you know that menstrual cramps are the results of the strong
contractions of the uterine wall that occur before and during
menstruation?
What do you think is its cause?
Cramps can be caused by the excessive secretion of
prostaglandins. Shedding of the endometrium of the uterus
results in the inflammation of the endometrial layer.
What is a feedback
mechanism?
 A feedback mechanism is the process
through which the level of a certain substance
influences the level of another substance.
A negative feedback affects the production of
hormones in the menstrual cycle. Moreover, high
levels of one hormone may inhibit the production
of another hormone.
Figure 2.3 presents the
negative feedback
mechanisms in the menstrual
cycle. Based on the figure,
follicle stimulating hormone or
FSH stimulates the ovaries to LH
release estrogen. High levels
of estrogen then prevent more
production of FSH. Estrogen
then stimulates the release of
luteinizing hormone or LH
from the pituitary gland, which
in turn, controls the production
of progesterone. Moreover,
high levels of progesterone
can then inhibit the further
release of LH.
 Pregnancy
▪ When a sperm cell successfully penetrates egg
their nuclei fuse, a zygote or fertilized egg is
formed.
▪ This process whereby the sperms’ nucleus and
the ovum’s nucleus unite is called fertilization.
▪ Placenta – a special organ that provide
nourishment for the embryo as well as secretion
of hormone called hCG.
▪ Human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) is a hormone produced by the
placenta during pregnancy. It's also known as the "pregnancy hormone"
because of its role in supporting pregnancy.
 References:
1.Menstrual cycle, http://en.wikipedia.org
2.Menstruation and the menstrual cycle fact
sheet, http://womenshealth.gov
Thank you 3.What is a menstrual
cycle?, https://myhealth.alberta.ca