What is ovulation?

Ovulation refers specifically to the release of an egg (or ovum) from one of the ovaries. This process occurs approximately once a month in the female menstrual cycle, typically around the midpoint of the cycle. During ovulation, a mature follicle in the ovary bursts and releases an egg into the fallopian tube, where it may encounter sperm and become fertilized.

This event is a crucial part of human reproduction, as it marks the period when a woman is most fertile and can conceive a child if sperm are present. The hormone levels fluctuate during this phase, including a peak in luteinizing hormone that triggers ovulation, but the central focus of ovulation itself is the release of the egg.

The other choices refer to different processes related to human reproduction. The production of sperm pertains to spermatogenesis, hormonal secretion involves the endocrine functions of the ovaries but is not the event of ovulation itself, and uterine preparation for pregnancy relates to the changes that occur in the uterus in response to hormonal signals, particularly after ovulation and during pregnancy.