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A fallopian tube is one of the paired ducts connecting the region near an ovary to the uterus. Its ovarian end opens into the peritoneal cavity rather than forming a sealed attachment to the ovary. Fimbriae help receive the released oocyte, which is transported along the tube by ciliary activity and smooth-muscle movement.^[ref]

The tube is therefore an active transport environment, not a passive storage vessel. It can bring gametes into the same region and transport an early embryo toward the uterus. These tasks distinguish ovarian release, fertilization and uterine implantation: they are different events with different locations, even when they occur in a connected sequence.

Ovulation is release of an oocyte from an ovarian follicle in the ovary. In the human menstrual cycle, rising luteinising hormone precedes this event; the released oocyte can subsequently encounter sperm in a fallopian tube. Ovulation and fertilization are separate events: releasing an oocyte does not establish a pregnancy.^[ref]

Calendar day alone is an imperfect marker because the timing of ovulation varies among individuals and cycles. An observed hormonal change measures part of the regulatory sequence rather than directly observing fusion of gametes.