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CHAPTER 2 - Fundamentals of patient care |
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FEMALE REPRODUCTIVE CYCLE
Females around age 11 begin to experience the
female reproductive cycle and continue into middle
age, after which it ceases. The female
reproductive cycle, or menstrual cycle,
is characterized by regular, recurring
changes in the uterine lining, resulting in
menstrual bleeding (menses). The first phase of the
recurring reproductive cycle is menstrual
bleeding. Menstrual bleeding begins
when the endometrial lining starts to
slough off from the walls of the uterus,
and it is characterized by bleeding from the vagina.
This is day 1 of the cycle, and this phase
usually lasts through day 5. The time
between the last day of the menses and
ovulation is known as the postmenstrual
phase. It lasts from day 6 through day 13 or 14 and is
characterized by proliferation of
endometrial cells in the uterus, which
develop under the influence of the
hormone estrogen. Ovulation, as discussed earlier in
this section, is the rupture of a primordial
follicle with the release of a mature
ovum into the fallopian tubes. It
usually occurs on day 14 or 15 of the cycle. The
postovulatory (premenstrual) phase is the
time between ovulation and the onset of
the menstrual bleeding and normally
lasts 14 days. During this phase the
ovum travels through the fallopian tubes to the
uterus. If the ovum becomes fertilized during this
passage, it will become implanted in and
nurtured by the newly developed
endometrial lining. However, if
fertilization does not take place, the lining deteriorates
and eventually sloughs off, marking day 1 of
the next cycle.
SUMMARY
In this chapter, you have learned about the basic
structures of the cell to the many complex systems of
the human body. In addition, you have
acquired the understanding of how each
body system functions and how each
system is interdependent upon each other.
You will use this knowledge of human anatomy and
physiology throughout your career in the
medical services. For example, the
anatomical terminology will be used in
describing location of injuries or
conditions. Also, when you perform patient
assessments, a clear and thorough understanding of
anatomy and physiology is essential.
Patient assessment and documentation
procedures will be discussed in the next
chapter, entitled "Fundamentals of
Patient Care."
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