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Need-to-know anatomy
The female reproductive system produces female sex hormones called estrogen and progesterone, along with other hormones, that maintain the reproductive cycle by sending signals to the reproductive organs. The ovaries respond to these signals by producing eggs, which proceed to the fallopian tubes, the site of conception. If conception occurs, the embryo moves on to the uterus and implants in the endometrium, the uterine lining.
During a menstrual cycle, the endometrium changes so that it is prepared for an embryo if conception occurs. Near the beginning of the cycle, hormones stimulate the endometrium to thicken so it can nourish an embryo. At the middle of the cycle, if pregnancy does not occur, the hormones change and the top layer of the lining begins to die. At the end of the cycle, the dead tissue is shed from the uterus and becomes the menstrual flow. This cycle repeats throughout a woman's life until she begins menopause.
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