• 12 parts
  • Checked September 2026

Uterine Cycle Diagram

One 28-day chart in two halves: the ovarian cycle, then the uterine cycle under the same days.

Uterine Cycle Diagram

Name Date

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Write the name of each numbered part.Answer key

  1. Ovulation
  2. LH
  3. FSH
  4. Follicular phase
  5. Luteal phase
  6. Corpus luteum
  7. Estrogen
  8. Progesterone
  9. Endometrium
  10. Menstrual phase
  11. Proliferative phase
  12. Secretory phase

Drawn for this site on 2026-09-30 from plain geometry. Licence: own work.

Each numbered ring is a button. Use the arrow keys to move between them and Enter to choose. Names are read out in Study, and once a part is answered.

Next step Next: the ovary and a follicle up close

All 12 parts on the diagram

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The ovarian cycle 6

  1. Ovulation It comes at about day 14 of a 28-day cycle. The LH surge triggers it. It ends the follicular phase.
  2. LH Luteinizing hormone. Its surge just before ovulation is what triggers ovulation.
  3. FSH Follicle-stimulating hormone. It makes follicles grow. Rising estrogen then holds it down until the burst at mid-cycle.
  4. Follicular phase Follicles grow and secrete estrogen. The phase runs from day 1 to ovulation.
  5. Luteal phase The corpus luteum secretes progesterone. If no pregnancy follows, it breaks down after 10 to 12 days.
  6. Corpus luteum A temporary gland, the yellowish body, that makes large amounts of progesterone.

The uterine cycle 6

  1. Estrogen Growing follicles secrete it. Rising estrogen makes the lining of the uterus rebuild.
  2. Progesterone The corpus luteum secretes it. When it falls at the end of the cycle, the lining is shed.
  3. Endometrium It is shed, rebuilt and thickened in each cycle. The part that is shed is its functional layer.
  4. Menstrual phase Also called the menses phase. It starts on day 1 and lasts about five days, while progesterone, FSH and LH are low.
  5. Proliferative phase Rising estrogen from the follicles makes the endometrium rebuild. The phase ends at ovulation.
  6. Secretory phase Progesterone from the corpus luteum prepares the endometrium. Its glands secrete a fluid rich in glycogen.

How this list was compiled: Every name and detail checked on 2026-09-30 against OpenStax Anatomy and Physiology 2e, section 27.2 Anatomy and Physiology of the Ovarian Reproductive System (the follicular and luteal phases, the LH surge and ovulation, the corpus luteum, and the menses, proliferative and secretory phases of the menstrual cycle), https://openstax.org/books/anatomy-and-physiology-2e/pages/27-2-anatomy-and-physiology-of-the-ovarian-reproductive-system, and against Wikipedia, Menstrual cycle, text only. Licence: own work

The drawing: Drawn for this site on 2026-09-30 from plain geometry; nothing traced. The curves are schematic. Licence: own work

How it works

Two charts share one day axis. The first shows the ovarian cycle with the two pituitary hormones. The second shows the uterine cycle with the two ovarian hormones and the lining of the uterus.

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Read down the dashed line

The dashed line is ovulation, drawn at day 14. On the first chart the LH surge comes just before it; the follicular phase lies to its left and the luteal phase to its right. On the second chart estrogen peaks before the line and progesterone after it. Under them the lining is shed in the menstrual phase, rebuilt in the proliferative phase and thickened in the secretory phase. The curves show when each hormone rises and falls, not measured amounts.

  • The ovarian cycle has two phases split by ovulation; the uterine cycle has three.
  • Textbooks draw 28 days. Real cycles vary in length.

Questions and answers

What are the phases of the uterine cycle?

Three: the menstrual (menses) phase, when the lining is shed; the proliferative phase, when rising estrogen rebuilds it; and the secretory phase, when progesterone prepares it.

What are the phases of the ovarian cycle?

The follicular phase, when follicles grow and secrete estrogen; ovulation, when the oocyte is released; and the luteal phase, when the corpus luteum secretes progesterone.

How do the ovarian and uterine cycles line up?

The menstrual and proliferative phases of the uterus fall within the follicular phase of the ovary. Ovulation ends both. The secretory phase runs alongside the luteal phase.

Which hormone triggers ovulation?

Luteinizing hormone. High estrogen from the dominant follicle causes a large burst of LH from the pituitary, the LH surge, and ovulation follows.

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