Where does fertilization typically occur in the female reproductive system?

Fertilization typically occurs in the fallopian tubes, which are the structures that connect the ovaries to the uterus. After ovulation, the egg is released from the ovary and enters the fallopian tube, where it may encounter sperm. The fallopian tubes provide the appropriate environment for the sperm to meet and fertilize the egg. This process is crucial for conception to occur, as it is in the fallopian tubes that the genetic material from the sperm combines with that of the egg, forming a zygote.

The ovaries are responsible for producing eggs and hormones but are not the site of fertilization. The uterus, on the other hand, serves as the implantation site for the fertilized egg after it has traveled down the fallopian tubes and undergone division, becoming a blastocyst. The cervix acts as the lower part of the uterus, playing a role in the passage of sperm into the uterus and providing a barrier during pregnancy, but it is not involved in the fertilization process itself.