Mammalian labor and delivery involves a series of increasingly powerful contractions. Discuss the factors involved in the amplification of the contraction response.

For the answer to the question above, the role of prostaglandins in contraction of the smooth muscle of the uterus and the biophysical changes associated with cervical ripening. The administration of prostaglandins for the purpose of inducing labor or ripening an unfavorable cervix is tempered by the effects of these agents in other systems, including the mammalian gut and brain