What happens during the female reproductive cycle?
A. Hormones are secreted to prepare for ovulation. At the beginning of each menstrual cycle, the pituitary gland secretes a hormone, FSH (follicle stimulating hormone), that acts upon the ovaries to prepare for ovulation. As one or more follicles in an ovary prepare for ovulation, they secret other hormones, estrogen and the luteinizing hormone (LH) that prepares the uterus for pregnancy by causing the inner lining of the uterus, the endometrium, to build up. The estrogen also causes some glands or crypts in the cervix to secrete a mucus discharge that is necessary for fertility, This mucus changes the environment in the vagina to make it more favorable to sperm life and likewise provides a medium through which the sperm swim upward into the uterus. The mucus typically starts as a rather sticky substance. Then, during the time of fertility, it becomes more fluid and copious, usually attaining a consistency very similar to raw egg white. Sometimes the mucus becomes so watery that it wil
