An Ode to the Ovaries

Ovaries, a pair of female gonad,
oval in shape
and about the size of an unshelled walnut.
On each side of the uterus,
one ovary is located.
To the fallopian tubes,
the ovaries are close to,
but not actually connected.
To store and release egg cells,
the ovaries function.
Also in the secretion
of the female sex hormones,
estrogens and progesterone.


As one of the eggs stored in the ovaries matures,
about midway through the menstrual cycle
it will be released, ovulation occurs.
If the egg is fertilized, a pregnancy begins.
In preparation for pregnancy,
the ovaries will release progesterone
as well as estrogens.
Hormones that will cause
the lining of the uterus to thicken.
If the egg is not fertilized, the uterine lining is shed,
along with the egg,
allowing the uterus to prepare anew for a fresh egg.


Between the ages of 45 and 50,
most women enter a period called menopause
and stop menstruating.
The ovaries gradually shrink and stop functioning,

END