How to lay out the answer. Follow the frame, then write it in your own words.
1 · Define. The menstrual cycle is a cycle of about 28 days in the female reproductive system that prepares the uterus for pregnancy.
2 · Describe the four phases.
Menstrual (days 1 to 5): the endometrium is shed with blood.
Follicular (days 6 to 13): FSH grows the follicle; estrogen rebuilds the lining.
Ovulatory (day 14): an LH surge releases the ovum.
Luteal (days 15 to 28): the corpus luteum makes progesterone; the lining thickens.
3 · Say what happens next. No fertilisation: the corpus luteum breaks down, progesterone falls and a new cycle begins. Fertilisation: the cycle stops during pregnancy.
4 · Draw the cycle. [Cycle diagram: four phases with their days and hormones]
5 · Link to daily life. Changing pads regularly and eating iron-rich food keep girls healthy.
6 · Close. So the cycle repeats every month from menarche to menopause.
Scoring tip: Give the day numbers and the hormone for each phase. Those two details carry the marks.
