Menstruation

Every twenty-eight days or so, one primary follicle that contains one ovum matures under the influence
of hormones from the anterior pituitary, hypothalamus, and the ovary. As the follicle matures, it secretes
hormones that prepare the uterine lining (endometrium) making it thcker and well-supplied with blood
vessels. The process of release of a mature ovum from a mature follicle is ovulation. As i from the ovary
to the uterus, it may or may not meet the sperm. moves along If there will not be fertilized. The
blastocyst (future embryo) will r not be implanted within s none, it the endometrium. The lining of the
endometrium is shed and degenerates. This is accompanied by bleeding. The blood and the cells that
lined the uterus flow out of the vagina as menstrual flow. After menstruation, the cycle begins again with
the maturation of a new ovum and build up of the uterine lining.

Menstruation is not for life. The first menstrual flow, also known as the menarche, signals that a girl
enters a transition time called puberty. This is the time when a reproductively immature girl becomes a
reproductively capable woman. This usually happens in the early teens of a girl. When a woman reaches
late forties or early fifties, her menstruation eventually stops. This is called menopause. The time of
menarche and menopause differs from one woman to another.

1.5.1. DISORDERS CONCERNING THE MENSTRUAL CYCLE

1. Amenorrhea - This is the absence of menstruation for three months or longer in a sexually active
woman who is not pregnant or breastfeeding. This may signal a more serious health problem.

Conditions that may cause Amenorrhea

• Eating disorder or Anorexia, Bulimia

• Excessive exercise and poor diet

• Hormonal problems involving hypothalamus, pituitary, thyroid, ovary,or adrenal glands

• Medications (contraceptives)

• Very low body weight

2. Menorrhagia/Hypermenorrhea - This is a condition of heavy or prolonged menstrual periods,

characterized by menstrual period longer than seven days or very heavy flow of blood. May also be a
sign of another health problem.

Conditions that may cause Menorrhagia

• Adenomyosis or Endometriosis (disorder of the uterine lining)

• Anti-inflammatory or anticoagulant medication

• Hormonal imbalance
• Ectopic pregnancy (fertilized egg implants in fallopian tube instead of uterus)

• Use of IUD (Intra uterine device - contraception)

• Uterine cancer

3. PMS (Premenstrual Syndrome or Dysmenorrhea) - This is a condition where one experiences severe
pain and discomfort before/during menstruatic enough to interfere with normal daily activities.

Conditions that may cause PMS

• STD (sexually transmitted disease)

• Endometriosis

• Extreme stress and anxiety

• Pelvis Inflammatory Disease (infection in the reproductive system

4. PMDD (Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder) This is characterized by depression or severe irritability

before and during menstrual period. (In rat cases, it may increase the risk of suicide.)

Fertilization

Fertilization is the first step in procreation. Fertilization occurs when the mature oocyte meets with the
sperm cell within 24 hours. This happens during intercourse An ejaculation can supply about 300 million
sperms into the vagina. Sperms live for about 3 days after ejaculation so fertilization can possibly occur
several days after ovulation. It takes only one sperm to fertilize the egg but it takes the binding of many
to release the enzyme that will clear the way for that one sperm to penetrate the egg plasma
membrane.
1. Fertilization results as the sperm cell unites with the egg cell to form the zygote or fertilized egg. Its
development and characteristics depend on the genes inside the gametes and the environment that the
developing egg is in.

2. Cleavage is a pattern of cell divisions. Within 24 hours after fertilization, the zygote undergoes cell
division, first into two, then four, eight, and so on until hundreds are formed. Different animals have
different cell divisions.

3. Blastula is the stage of the embryo when a hollow ball of a single layer of many cells with fluid-filled
cavity is formed. The fluid-filled cavity is called blastocoel.

4. Gastrula is the stage when the inward movement of the cells forming inner and outer layers forms two
layers of cells. The new space formed is the gastrocoel. This process which begins in the blastopore (a
region in the blastula) is called gastrulation.

5. Germ layers are the original cells that later develop into the different organs of the animals. The outer
tissue layer (ectoderm) forms the epidermis of the skin, nervous system, and sense organs (e.g., eyes,
ears). The inner tissue layer (endoderm) forms the digestive tract, glands like the pancreas and liver and
respiratory system. The Mesoderm - the layer that grows out of the inner lining of the gastrula, forms the
notochord, skeleton, muscles, heart, blood vessels, connective tissues, and reproductive organs.

6. The neural tube is composed of the two ridges that form from the plate of specialized cells that
developed from the ectoderm that lies directly above the notochord. The notochord is a specialized,
narrow strip of mesodermal cells in the middle back of the embryo. It is important in organizing the
development of the nervous system. The neural tube then closes to form hollow neural tube. The
ectodermal skin covers the neural tube. The front part of the neural tube becomes the brain and the
posterior part becomes the spinal cord.

7. The mesoderm also forms blocks of tissues on each side of the notochord called somites. This forms
the dermis of the skin, vertebral backbone, and muscles of the trunk. It is also the source of the body
cavity, kidney, and reproductive organs.
The development of the embryo involves protection from the parents. In animals, like the frog, eggs are
in large clusters covered by jelly-like membranes that keep them afloat in water. In chickens, hard shells
cover the fertilized eggs laid in land. In mammals, like the human being, the fertilized egg develops inside
the body.

After fertilization, the zygote undergoes cleavage-a series of cell divisions. The first cleavage happens
within the day, forming a four-celled zygote. On the third day, a solid clump of six to twelve cells is
produced. On the fourth day, it has divided into 16-32 cells, called morula. During the blastula stage,
about the second week of development, the embryo enters the fallopian tube and travels into the
uterus. It attaches itself in the endometrium, the inner lining of the uterus. This is called implantation.
This is accompanied by the formation of new organ, the placenta.

The placenta is the organ that forms during gestation or pregnancy. It is connected to the embryo by the
umbilical cord which serves as structure to which nourishment for fetus is received and wastes
eliminated into the circulatory system of the mother by the process of diffusion. This is discharged
shortly after birth.

The blastocyst, a hollow ball of cells with fluid-filled cavity inserts into the uterine lining establishing the
connection to the mother for support of the developing embryo. Embryonic membranes are developed.
These are the amnion, chorion, allantois, and the yolk sac. The amnion, filled with amniotic liquid,
encloses the embryo and protects it from dehydration. The outermost fetal membrane called chorion
transports carbon dioxide and oxygen in the embryo which later on becomes the placenta. The allantois
is a membrane that is useful in the development of blood and urinary bladder. The next stage is the
gastrulation, a process of infolding the cells from the surface going into the embryo that later becomes
the digestive tract cavity. The mouth is formed by the joining of the cavity cells and the front end of the
embryo. At the tail end, the anus is formed. During this time, the inner cell mass is double-layered.

In the third week, one more layer is added to the two. Later on, these three layers become the adult
tissues, organs, and systems. The ectoderm, the outermost layer is used to form the brain, spinal cord,
lining of the mouth's outer skin, lens of the eyes, and inner ear.