00:00Soft lighting, a water bed, soothing sounds, meals delivered directly to our bed.
00:07Just chill in all day long. It couldn't be more luxurious.
00:11That's kind of how we all start out in life, in the uterus.
00:15But the womb isn't just a five-star hotel.
00:20It's the tough guy amongst all the organs.
00:23The shape and size of the uterus are roughly like an upside-down pair.
00:30The lower part, the cervix, is closed most of the time.
00:33It connects with the top of the vagina.
00:37At the other end, antenna-like structures extend from the uterus, the fallopian tubes and the ovaries.
00:45These small organs are the primary source of sex hormones.
00:50Estrogen and progesterone especially are responsible for the development of secondary sexual characteristics during puberty.
00:57They also regulate the menstrual cycle.
01:00Thousands of egg cells lie dormant in each ovary.
01:05Hormone signals ensure that each month, one of the ovaries alternately matures an egg cell, which then sets off on
01:12its journey.
01:13If the ovaries don't stick to the plan, it can result in non-identical twins.
01:20Next, tiny hair-like structures or cilia in the fallopian tubes transport the egg to the uterus, a journey of
01:27three to five days.
01:30And sometimes, the eggs meet someone along the way.
01:37Meanwhile, the uterus gets ready.
01:40Within the space of around just two weeks, it forms a mucous membrane over one centimetre thick, rich in blood
01:47vessels and immune cells.
01:50All so that a fertilised egg can make itself comfortable.
01:55If that doesn't happen, the lining is shed again, the tissue becomes inflamed, the blood supply is cut off and
02:02the remains are flushed out along with a lot of blood.
02:11But if a fertilised egg does nestle in, that's when the real work begins for the uterus.
02:18During pregnancy, it gets bigger and bigger.
02:21All of a sudden, it's no pear, more like a watermelon.
02:27There's not much room left for other organs, like the intestine, stomach or lungs.
02:32The bladder also feels the squeeze.
02:35To deliver the baby at the end of pregnancy, the uterus has powerful muscle tissue that's among the strongest in
02:43the body.
02:49In the second half of life after menopause, hormone production drops sharply and the uterus shrinks to nearly half its
02:57size.
02:58But whoever accomplishes that much deserves to retire early.
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