| Understanding the Placenta, the Uterus, and the Umbilical Cord
To understand the way the muscular organ, called the uterus, supports a pregnancy, it is important to first understand the menstrual cycle. When a woman is not pregnant, and has active menstrual cycles, her cycle is influenced by hormones released by the pituitary gland and the hypothalamus (both in the brain) with their effects on the ovaries and uterus composing a feedback loop that regulates the cycle of ovulation and menstrual flow. |