The fallopian tubes, also know as uterine tubes, are two thin tubes that connect the ovaries and the uterus. An ovum (egg) that is released from an ovary will travel through a fallopian tube and into the uterus. Each fallopian tube is comprised of three sections: the isthmus, ampulla, and infundibulum.
Fecundity is a term that refers to the potential for successful reproduction.
Fertility is the ability to conceive a pregnancy.
Fertility preservation is the use of specific medical interventions to protect the fertility of individuals whose disease or disease treatment may lead to infertility.
Fertilization is the event that occurs when a sperm and an egg unite to produce a zygote. During normal fertilization, the haploid male and female gametes fuse to produce a diploid zygote.
A fertilization membrane is a membrane that forms around the egg after fertilization in order to prevent polyspermy.
A fetal membrane is the tissue surrounding the fetus that works to protect, nourish, and assist in the excretion and respiration of the developing fetus. The fetal membranes include the chorion, amnion, and allantois. Healthy fetal membranes are required for favorable pregnancy outcomes.
The fetal origins of adult disease (FOAD), also know as Barker's hypothesis, claims that fetal stresses encountered during gestation can ultimately lead to adult diseases such as hypertension, heart disease, stroke, and diabetes.
In humans, the term fetus is used to describe a developing organism that has reached the eighth week of developmental age (following fertilization).
A fibroid, also known as a uterine leiomyoma, is a benign (non-cancerous) tumor of the uterus. Fibroids are fairly common, occurring in 20-40% of women. They are typically asymptomatic but can result in painful intercourse, heavy menstruation, frequent urination, and rarely infertility.
Fimbria is a fringe or fingerlike structure located at the ends of fallopian tubes. Fimbriae facilitate egg movement through the fallopian tubes.
Fixation is the process of preserving tissue through chemical means to retain its structure.
Follicle stimulating hormone (FSH) is a hormone made by the pituitary gland that affects gonads (female ovaries and males testes). In females, it stimulates the growth of the ovarian follicles.
The follicular phase is the portion of the menstrual cycle in which the ovarian follicle develops and matures. This half of the menstrual cycle begins on the first day of menses and ends with ovulation. The follicular phase is characterized by a gradual rise in the steroid hormone estrogen.
Folliculogenesis is the process of ovarian follicle development. In order to reach the ovulatory stage, an ovarian follicle will pass through the following stages: primordial (resting), primary, secondary (pre-antral), tertiary (antral) and finally the pre-ovulatory (Graafian) follicle stage. According to dogma in the field, in females, the peak number of ovarian follicles occurs in the fetus at mid-gestation and is approximately 7 million. This number then declines to 2 million at birth, half a million at puberty, 25 thousands at the age of 37 years, and less than one thousand at menopause. This progressive decline in follicle count with age is due to a natural breakdown process called follicular atresia that affects 99.9% of all follicles stages.
Follistatin is a protein that binds the hormone activin. It is made in the ovary and the pituitary. It is one of several proteins that regulates FSH secretion by controlling the activating hormone activin.