Catagen lasts for about two to three weeks and cuts blood supply to the follicle, creating a club hair, meaning it's ready to be shed.

Roughly fifteen days before fertilization can happen, the anterior pituitary gland secretes follicle stimulating hormone, FSH, which ripens a handful of follicles of the ovary that then release estrogen.

Each follicle contains one egg, and on average, only one follicle becomes fully mature.

As it grows and continues to release estrogen, this hormone not only helps coordinate growth and preparation of the uterus, it also communicates to the brain how well the follicle is developing.

When the estrogen level is high enough, the anterior pituitary releases a surge of luteinizing hormone, LH, which triggers ovulation and causes the follicle to rupture and release the egg.

Once implanted, the cells that are to become the placenta secrete a hormone that signals to the ovulated follicle that there is a pregnancy in the uterus.

This helps rescue that follicle, now called the corpus luteum, from degenerating as it normally would do in that stage of the menstrual cycle.

Follicle in sentence

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