What it means
Fertilization usually happens in the outer part of a fallopian tube within about a day after the egg is released (ovulation). The fertilized egg, now called a zygote, divides as it travels to the uterus over several days and then implants in the uterine lining. In vitro fertilization (IVF) joins egg and sperm in a lab, and the embryo is then placed in the uterus.
At a glance
| Spanish | fecundación, fertilización |
|---|---|
| Also written | fertilisation, fertilized, fertilize |
Related terms
maternal
Having to do with a mother, or with a woman during pregnancy, birth and the weeks after.
salping/o
A word root that means tube, most often the fallopian (uterine) tube.
menstrual cycle
The monthly series of hormone-driven changes in the ovaries and uterus that prepare the body for possible pregnancy.