Get your site now The Female Reproductive System back to anatomy Approximately every 28 days, an egg, or ovum, is released from an ovary. This process is called ovulation. The egg moves slowly through the tube and into the uterus over a period of several days. If a woman has sexual intercourse with a fertile man during the time an egg is present, one of his sperm may penetrate the egg, or fertilize it. If both egg and sperm are healthy, the egg may then begin development and attach to the built-up lining of the uterus, which has been preparing for this possibility.
Pregnancy then begins.
The process begins all over again and continues until menopause, when reproductive capability ends. Note that the vagina is not really a hollow tube as it appears here. It is actually an elastic, muscular organ, about 3-4 inches long, with sides that touch closely, sort of like a collapsed balloon. Sponsored Links Save Now with a Free Pharmacy Discount Card. Revolutionary German Shampoo found to grow new hair and featured on ABC News.