ovarian follicles
Types
primordial follicles
- 400,000 primordial follicles containing primary oocytes are present at birth in ovarian stroma.
- The primordial follicles travels from yolk sac endoderm to ovary, develops into oogonia and oocytes, arrests at prophase of mitosis
maturing follicles (primary follicles, secondary follicles, tertiary follicles, graafian follicles)
- A maturing follicle is an oocyte with granulosa layer. It lacks reticulum and are immunoreactive for vimentin, keratin, desmoplakin.
- They contains Call-Exner bodies (rosette-like formations with central filamentous / eosinophilic material consisting of excess basal lamina), theca cells (within follicle, luteinized cells that produce sex hormones; external to follicle).
Variants
cystic follicles
- Prominent cystic follicles are present at birth and puberty.
atretic follicles
See also