Ovulation vs Fertility
All living organisms have the ability to reproduce and bear offspring that may be identical or different from the parents. This process is called reproduction and can either be asexual or sexual. Asexual reproduction is done not through mating but through fission, budding, and fragmentation.
Sexual reproduction is done through the mating of the male and female members of any animal species. It is the formation of a new organism and uses the genetic materials of two organisms of opposite sexes. Successful sexual reproduction can only be accomplished if both the male and female organisms are fertile during this time.
Being fertile or fertility is the ability of organisms to reproduce and give life. It is the natural power of organisms to conceive and have offspring through normal sexual activity. It is when a man produces mature sperm and a woman produces mature eggs which when joined together forms another organism called the embryo.
There are many factors that can affect fertility, some of which are: culture, sexual behavior, nutrition, way of life, timing, and the sexual hormones that are released by the pituitary glands. Hormonal cycles in males and females indicate if the man is virile and can produce healthy sperm and if the woman is fertile and ready for ovulation.
Fertility in men declines with age because their sperm count gradually lessens as they age although it also depends on volume as well as sperm motility and morphology. Fertility in women reaches its peak at age 22 to 26 especially during the few days before their menstrual cycle. The fertility period of a woman usually lasts for one or two days and happens after the ova or eggs are released from the ovary. When a woman’s ovary produces a mature egg and releases it into the fallopian tube to be fertilized, ovulation occurs.
It is a process of a woman’s menstrual cycle wherein the ovarian follicle releases a mature ovum. It has three phases: preovulatory phase which is also known as follicular phase, ovulatory phase, and postovulatory phase which is also known as luteal phase.
Ovulation is controlled by the hypothalamus and the pituitary gland which releases hormones such as luteinizing hormones (LH) and follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH). Ovulation can be determined by the cervical fluid that is released which should resemble egg white.
Summary:
1.Fertility is the ability of organisms to reproduce while ovulation is the production and release of a mature ovum or egg.
2.Fertility in women hastens the onset of ovulation, and when paired with a virile male, fertilization occurs.
3.For both men and women, fertility is at its peak during the early to late 30s while ovulation in women occurs 10 to 16 days prior to menstruation.
4.Fertility is when the hormones of organisms are mature and ready for reproduction while ovulation is when a woman’s body releases an ovum and is ready to conceive.
5.Fertility is observed in both male and female organisms while ovulation is observed only in females.