What is the difference between menstruate and ovulate?

The menstrual cycle actually begins with the first day of your period. During this time, estrogen levels in your body are extremely low. This signals your body to produce FSH. As the levels of FSH in your bloodstream rise, approximately 20 follicles inside of your ovary begin to mature. One of these follicles will begin to secrete estradiol, a type of estrogen, while the weaker follicles die off. As your period ends, your body will prepare for ovulation by creating a thicker uterine lining, appropriate for implantation. Your cervical mucus will also change, from thick and clumpy, to thin and slippery.

ovulation occurs around the 14th day of your menstrual cycle.the egg will enter one of your fallopian tubes and travel towards your uterus. The leftover egg follicle gradually shrinks, becoming the corpus luteum.

If your egg is not fertilized after ovulation, your body will progress into the menstrual phase of its cycle. During this stage, the unfertilizied egg is expelled from the vagina along with the uterine lining. This is your menstrual period.