What Happens During Those 28 Days - The Menstrual Cycle

The timing and amount of blood flow you experience during your monthly menstrual cycle depends on the performance of your contact endocrine glands that produce hormones necessary for menstruation occurs when pregnancy does not. What they do affects what happens in your reproductive organs.

Firstly, what are the reproductive organs?

The uterus is a pear-shaped organ, which in its non-pregnant, has collapsed and the size of your fist. It is located between the bladder and intestines. The lower third of the uterus is called the cervix. The collar has an opening called the OS "," which opens in the vaginal canal and permits your period to elapse. Extending from each side of the uterus are the fallopian tubes. Towards the end of each fallopian tube is an ovary. The ovaries are almond-sized organs that produce eggs. Each ovary contains from 200,000 to 400,000 follicles. These follicles contain the material needed to produce eggs. The inner lining of the uterus called the endometrium. The endometrium sheds during menstruation. In addition to endometrial tissue, your menstrual flow also contains blood and mucus of the cervix and vagina. When pregnancy occurs, the endometrium thickens and fills with blood vessels that mature into the placenta, which contains the growing fetus.

Which hormones interact with the reproductive organs?

The area of brain called the hypothalamus with the pituitary, which is also in the brain, the control of hormones necessary for reproductive health. Six hormones serve as chemical messengers to your reproductive system.

These hormones are:
* The gonadotropin releasing hormone (GnRH)
* follicle stimulating hormone (FSH)
* luteinizing hormone (LH), estrogen progesterone testosterone During your menstrual cycle, GnRH is released first by the hypothalamus.

This causes a chemical reaction in the pituitary and stimulates production of FSH and LH. Estrogen, progesterone and testosterone (yes, the "male" hormone) are produced by the ovaries in response to stimulation by FSH and LH. When these hormones work in unison, normal menstrual cycles occur.

Your menstrual cycle phases during the menstrual cycle is divided into two phases - the follicular or proliferative phase and the luteal or ovulatory phase. The follicular phase includes the time when menstruation occurs and is followed by the proliferation or growth and thickening of the endometrium. This phase usually lasts 10-14 days, starting with the first day of menstruation. Estrogen and progesterone are lowest during menstruation. When bleeding stops, starts the proliferative phase of the endometrium due grow and thicken in preparation for pregnancy. During the next (approximately) two weeks, the FSH levels rise causing maturation of several ovarian follicles and egg size threefold. FSH also signals the ovaries begin to produce estrogen, which stimulates LH levels rising to nearly 14 days of your cycle triggering a burst of follicles, and the largest egg is released in one of the fallopian tubes. This phase is followed by the premenstrual phase, known as the luteal phase. The premenstrual period is about 14 days. After ovulation, LH causes the corpus leuteum develop from the ruptured follicle. The body produces progesterone leuteum. Together estrogen and progesterone stimulate the endometrium to prepare a thick layer of blood vessels that support a fertilized egg if pregnancy occurs. When pregnancy occurs this blanket of blood vessels becomes the placenta which surrounds the fetus until birth. If pregnancy does not occur, the corpus leuteum deteriorates and becomes the corpus albicans. Once