Library · Physiology
Cervix function
Make it clearer
Cervical function during pregnancy depends on its ability to do two opposite things at different times. First, it remains a firmly closed tube, forming a barrier between the developing fetus and the outside.
During labor, the tissue changes how it behaves. The extracellular matrix, the support network around the cells, gives it elasticity. This allows the cervix to soften, shorten, and open, like a firm material becoming flexible when the time comes.
In brief
The function of the cervix changes with the reproductive context. During most of pregnancy, it remains a firmly closed tubular structure that acts as a barrier between the developing fetus and the outside.
Its tissue contains abundant components of the extracellular matrix, the network surrounding cells, and has elastic properties. This architecture allows the cervix to soften, shorten, and dilate during labor, then regain part of its shape afterward.
The closed canal later becomes flexible.
Sources (1)
- National Center for Biotechnology InformationPhysiology, Cervical Dilation
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Updated