ELI5: How do released human eggs reach the uterus instead of floating around the body?

The released egg reaches the uterus because nearby tubes use tiny, waving finger-like sweepers to catch the egg like a baseball glove and guide it safely inside.

Here is how that journey works:

• The Catch: The ovary and the tube leading to the uterus (called the fallopian tube) are not actually glued together. Instead, the end of the tube hangs right over the ovary like an open hand with wiggling fingers, called fimbriae. When an egg pops out of the ovary, these soft fingers sweep over the area, creating a gentle current that pulls the egg right into the tube, just like a pool skimmer scooping up a floating toy.
• The Gentle Ride: Once inside the tube, the egg cannot walk or swim on its own. The inside of the tube is lined with millions of microscopic hairs called cilia. Think of a crowd of fans at a rock concert crowd-surfing a person over their heads. These tiny hairs all wave in the exact same direction, gently passing the egg along toward the uterus.
• The Squeeze: At the same time, the walls of the tube gently squeeze and relax, like someone gently pushing toothpaste out of a tube, to keep the egg moving forward.