Ovulation

The idea

From puberty, usually one mature egg is released every month from one of the ovaries and travels into the oviduct; this is ovulation, before which the uterine lining thickens.

A monthly event

From puberty, a girl's body does something regular about once a month. It involves an egg.

How many mature eggs do you think are usually released each time?

• Usually one
• Millions
• Hundreds

The egg is released

Press Next step. The picture is a simple schematic.

Once a month

The ovaries held millions of immature eggs from birth. From puberty, usually one mature egg is released each month, and the uterus thickens its lining beforehand.

From puberty, usually one mature egg is released every month from one of the ovaries and travels into the oviduct. This is ovulation. Before it, the uterine lining thickens.

Notes

Ovulation: from puberty, usually one mature egg is released each month from an ovary into the oviduct; the uterine lining thickens before it.

Check yourself

From puberty, usually how many mature eggs are released every month?

Answer: 1

Usually one mature egg is released every month from one of the ovaries.

The release of a mature egg from an ovary is called…

What happens to the uterine lining before ovulation?

After it leaves the ovary, the egg travels into the…

• fertilisation. Fertilisation is the fusion of a sperm and an egg.
• ovulation — correct. Yes!
• menstruation. Menstruation is the shedding of the uterine lining.
• It is shed. The lining is shed in menstruation, when an egg is not fertilised.
• It disappears completely. Before ovulation the uterus prepares itself and its inner lining becomes thick.
• It becomes thick — correct. Yes!
• oviduct — correct. Yes!
• vagina. The egg travels from the ovary into the oviduct.
• scrotum. The scrotum is part of the male system.