Abstract
Endometrium is a descriptive term for the mucosal lining of the cavity of the uterus. During maximal development, it is approximately 4-5 mm thick, and consists of a simple columnar epithelial cell layer at the luminal surface, from which glandular epithelial components extend downward into a thick lamina propria consisting of stromal cells. Teleologically, the endometrium prepares for reception of the fertilized ovum, the blastocyst, participates in its implantation and nutrition, and forms the maternal portion of the pla- centa. Between menarche and menopause, the endometrium undergoes cycles of structural changes, each approximately 28 days in length and consisting of a proliferative phase (8 days), ovulation (1 day), a secretory or differentiation phase (14 days), and in the absence of ovum fertilization, a menstrual phase (5 days), characterized by the sloughing of most of the endometrial lining together with stromal vessel blood through the vagina.
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Behbakht, K., Boyd, J. (1997). Estrogen and Progesterone Receptors in Human Endometrial Cancer. In: Pavlik, E.J. (eds) Estrogens, Progestins, and Their Antagonists. Hormones in Health and Disease. Birkhäuser, Boston, MA. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4612-2004-6_7
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