Abstract

CERVICAL MUCUS HELPS IN THE FERTILIZATION

Vivek Dubey*, S. Mythirayee, Rajan Kumar Tiwari, Utkarsh Gaharwar, Muneesh Pal and Sreenivasan Reddy

ABSTRACT

Cervical mucus plays a vital role in female fertility. Infertility is most important factor arising in reproductive health. It helps in the sperm migration through the female reproductive tract, biochemical and morphological changes to sperm, and sperm egg interaction in the oviduct. The maximum cases of infertility have been found in human population, but they do not know why they cannot conceive. Secretion levels of cervical mucus decide the fertility and infertility in mammals. The cervical glands proliferate under the influence of oestrogen secreted during the follicular stage of the ovarian cycle. The glands become longer as the follicular cycle progresses. The glandular epithelial cells become larger and start to secrete mucus that is initially thick and viscous. This watery cervical mucus helps the sperm to swim into the uterus to fertilize the ovum. It plays role in the protection of the uterine cavity from pathogens and controls survival and migration of sperm cells. At ovulation, oestrogens increase hydration of mucus, which results in watery secretion with low visco-elasticity, allowing sperm cells to penetrate .This review is an attempt to collect relevant knowledge about the structure and production of cervical mucus and draws attention to cervical mucus effect on fertilization.

Keywords: ovum, sperm, cervical mucus, fertilization, fertility, and infertility, oestrogen, capacitation.