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The equivalent of the menstrual cycle in the ovary, comprising the follicular phase and the luteal phase. Thus the ordered sequence of timely development of tertiary follicles to a (usually) single dominant follicle or Graafian follicle, characterized by increasing production of the estrogen estradiol), through ovulation, when estradiol falls and progesterone starts to rise, followed by the development and then decline of the corpus luteum, with the further production of progesterone. Because estradiol and progesterone control the growth and development of the endometrium in the uterus, the ovarian cycle determines the menstrual cycle (normally lasting from 24 to 35 days in length, and with a typical duration of about 28 days) and also the cycle of the normal female hypothalamus and pituitary gland
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