Question

question # 3
multiple choice
michelle and her husband are trying to conceive a baby. she knows she will be ovulating (when the egg is in the fallopian tube) on wednesday. when would michelle and her husband need to conceive the baby before the egg travels to the uterus?

○ by thursday
○ a month later
○ by saturday
○ the following wednesday

Explanation:

To determine when conception must occur before the egg reaches the uterus, we rely on biological knowledge about the lifespan of an egg after ovulation. An egg typically remains viable (able to be fertilized) for about 12 - 24 hours after ovulation, but sperm can survive in the female reproductive tract for up to 3 - 5 days. However, for the egg (released on Wednesday), to be fertilized before it travels to the uterus (and loses viability), the time frame aligns with the egg's viability and the window for fertilization. The egg is viable for a short period, but considering the options, "by Saturday" fits within the typical window (a few days after ovulation, as sperm can wait and the egg is still viable for a short time, but the option "by Saturday" is the most reasonable among the choices given, as the other options like "by Thursday" is too soon (egg is still viable but the window extends a bit), "a month later" is incorrect (ovulation is a monthly cycle but the egg from Wednesday won't be viable then), and "the following Wednesday" is also incorrect (egg from the previous Wednesday would not be viable a week later). So the correct option is the one indicating conception by Saturday.

Answer:

by Saturday