3.48 Menstrual Cycle Definition & Stages

This lesson will explore what happens within a female’s body during what is known as a menstrual cycle. We’ll explore the definition of this cycle as well as its stages.

What Is a Menstrual Cycle?

Typically every month, a menstrual cycle takes place in a female’s body to prepare her to have a baby later in life, if she chooses to do so. The average age range for a girl to experience her first menstrual cycle is 11-14 years old. But what actually happens during a menstrual cycle? Let’s find out.

Stage One

The first phase of the menstrual cycle is called menstruation. You might remember this because it sounds a bit like ‘menstrual’ cycle. This stage is also commonly called a period. The first sign that the female is in this phase is that blood will come out of the vagina. The vagina is the part of the female body that leads from the uterus, which is the female organ where babies develop, to the outside of the body.

Location of where the menstrual cycle takes place in the female body

The blood is a result of the old lining of the uterus, shedding and being replaced by the new lining of the uterus, which it does about once a month. This normally lasts 3-5 days, but it can sometimes last longer. A female might experience pain in the back or in the area around the lower stomach or have a feeling of being full in the stomach area.

The uterine wall during menstruation

You might be thinking, so if there’s blood, what might a female who is menstruating do? One solution is known as a sanitary napkin, or pad, and it sticks comfortably inside a female’s underwear to catch the blood. This is changed many times throughout the day when the female uses the bathroom.

Stage Two

The second phase lasts about ten days, and this is when the egg begins to develop inside the ovary, which is another organ inside of the female body. A female egg is not like an egg you eat from a chicken. Each month, a woman’s body produces a special cell known as an egg. The egg is one of the things that is needed in order to make a baby. The other part is called sperm, and it comes from the male.

Stage Three

Stage three is the ovulation phase, which is when the egg is released from the ovary and moves towards the woman’s uterus. Typically only one egg is released a month. If the egg is not combined with a sperm, the egg disappears within a day or so by being absorbed within the body.

Egg during ovulation

Stage Four

The final phase is here, stage four! Now that the egg is gone, the body is gearing up for menstruation again. The body begins to release large amounts of hormones, which are special chemicals in our bodies that influence our mood. So a woman might find herself feeling more tired or stressed during this time.

1. Main points:

The menstrual cycle, occurring monthly, prepares a female for potential pregnancy. It consists of four stages: menstruation (shedding of the uterine lining), egg development in the ovary, ovulation (release of the egg), and hormonal changes preparing for the next cycle.

2. Questions:

• Content Analysis: What are the four stages of the menstrual cycle and their functions?
• Contextual Analysis: How does each stage contribute to the overall reproductive process?
• Linguistic Analysis: What words in the text describe the physiological and emotional aspects of the menstrual cycle?

3. Further Discussion:

Why is understanding the menstrual cycle important for both females and males?

4. Answers:

• Content Analysis: "Stage One: menstruation… Stage Two: egg development… Stage Three: ovulation… Stage Four: hormonal changes."
• Contextual Analysis: Each stage plays a role in preparing the body for potential pregnancy, from shedding the uterine lining to developing and releasing an egg, and then resetting hormonally.
• Linguistic Analysis: Words like "shedding," "developing," "release," "hormones," and "mood" describe the physiological and emotional aspects of the menstrual cycle.

Lesson Summary

Females often undergo their first menstrual cycle between the ages of 11 and 14. This four-phase cycle prepares female bodies to have a baby later in life, if a woman so chooses.