The female reproductive system chapter describes the three stages of labor and delivery as dilation where the cervix dilates from uterine contractions, expulsion where the baby is pushed out, and placental where the placenta is delivered, as well as defining gestation as the normal 40 week fetal development period divided into three-month trimesters and the ovum as the female egg cell involved in fertilization with sperm.

1. Chapter 10 The Female Reproductive System By: Allison Wong

2. The three stages of labor and delivery are the dilation stage, the expulsion stage, and the placental stage. Dilation stage: The uterine muscles contract in order to expel the baby. The fetus begins to press on the cervix causing it to dilate. Expulsion stage: The mother begins to push until the baby is safely delivered and takes its first breath. Placental stage: The uterus continues to contract after delivery to expel the placenta through the vagina.

3. The time required for the development of a fetus is called gestation . Gestation: It normally lasts for 40 weeks and a child maybe considered full term if born on or after the 36 week mark. It’s divided into 3 trimesters of 3 months each.

4. The female sex cell is an ovum . Ovum: An egg in the woman's ovary. It is the female gamete that combines with the male gamete, called a sperm, in the process of fertilization.