A normal menstrual cycle is approximately 28 days and comprises which three phases?

A normal menstrual cycle is approximately 28 days and comprises which three phases?

• A. 28 days; Follicular phase ~14 days, Ovulatory phase, Luteal phase
• B. 14 days; Menstrual, Proliferative, Secretory
• C. 21 days; Proliferative, Secretory, Luteal
• D. 60 days; Follicular and luteal only

Answer: (A)

In the typical cycle the ovarian activity unfolds in three phases: follicular, ovulation, and luteal. The whole cycle is about 28 days on average. The follicular phase runs for roughly the first half of the cycle, during which follicles mature and estrogen rises. Ovulation occurs in the middle of the cycle, around day 14, when an egg is released. The luteal phase follows for the remaining two weeks, with the corpus luteum producing progesterone to prepare the uterus for potential implantation. If pregnancy doesn’t occur, progesterone falls and menses starts again. That option matches the standard pattern: a 28-day cycle with a follicular phase of about 14 days, followed by the ovulatory event, then the luteal phase. The other choices mix in incorrect total lengths or switch to endometrial phase terms that don’t correspond to the three phases of the ovarian cycle.

In the typical cycle the ovarian activity unfolds in three phases: follicular, ovulation, and luteal. The whole cycle is about 28 days on average. The follicular phase runs for roughly the first half of the cycle, during which follicles mature and estrogen rises. Ovulation occurs in the middle of the cycle, around day 14, when an egg is released. The luteal phase follows for the remaining two weeks, with the corpus luteum producing progesterone to prepare the uterus for potential implantation. If pregnancy doesn’t occur, progesterone falls and menses starts again.

That option matches the standard pattern: a 28-day cycle with a follicular phase of about 14 days, followed by the ovulatory event, then the luteal phase. The other choices mix in incorrect total lengths or switch to endometrial phase terms that don’t correspond to the three phases of the ovarian cycle.