National League for Nursing (NLN PAX) Practice Exam

Within which of these structures of the female reproductive tract is the human egg fertilized?

1. Uterus.

2. Fallopian tube.

3. Vagina.

4. Cervix.

The correct answer is: Fallopian tube.

The human egg is fertilized in the fallopian tube, which is the correct answer. This structure plays a crucial role in reproduction, as it is where the sperm meets the egg after ovulation. During a normal menstrual cycle, an ovary releases an egg, and this egg travels into the fallopian tube. If sperm are present in the fallopian tube, fertilization occurs here before the fertilized egg, now called a zygote, moves toward the uterus for implantation. The uterus is primarily where the embryo implants and develops during pregnancy, but it is not a site of fertilization. The vagina serves as the canal through which sperm enter the female reproductive tract but also does not facilitate fertilization. The cervix acts as a barrier and passage between the vagina and the uterus, allowing or preventing the passage of sperm but is not involved in the fertilization process itself. Therefore, the fallopian tube is the only structure in this context responsible for the fertilization of the human egg.