Menstrual Cycle

Ovarian Cycle
Oogenesis, Folliculogenesis,
Ovulation, Formation of the Corpus
Luteum
John T. Tran

Oogenesis:
Goal: to produce haploid gametes oocytes
Unlike sperm, which is designed for motility, oocytes

must carry all factors that initiate development

Primordial germ cells (PGCs) undergo mitosis in utero

Become oogonia
Enter the meiotic prophase I, stall as diplotene as 1o oocytes
Progression of meiosis is blocked by meiotic inhibitory factor
produced by follicle cells
Nucleus of dormant 1o oocytes enlarges and is called a

germinal vesicle

What do you guys think is the role of the germinal vesicle?

Oogenesis:
Where do PGCs come from?

PGCs migrates from the yolk sac to the gonadal ridge (derived from what

mesoderm?)

By 7th month in utero, most oogonia have transformed into primary oocytes. Most

primary oocytes are degenerated thru a process called follicular atresia

By puberty, both ovaries contain about 300,000 oocytes

During the reproductive life of a woman (30-40 years), only about 450 oocytes are

ovulated. The rest undergo atresia

Stages of
meiosis
In Prophase I:
Pachytene: crossing over
occurs between
homologous
chromosomes
Diplotene: chromosomes
begin to separate
Diakinesis: tetrads start
moving to the metaphase
plate, nuclear envelope
breaks down

Overview of uterine and ovarian anatomy

Folliculogenesis
Overview

Folliculogenesis
When the primary oocytes are formed, each become surrounded by

simple squamous epithelial cells

primary oocytes + follicular cells = primordial follicle

Folliculogenesis
During each menstrual

cycle, a small number of

primordial follicles grow
and the follicular cells
change from simple
squamous to simple
cuboidal unilaminar
primary follicles
Not hormone dependent
Zona pellucida glycoprotein

layer produced by follicle cells

and oocyte

Folliculogenesis
Continued proliferation of follicular

cells forms stratified follicular

epithelium, the granulosa
Follicular cells are now called
granulosa cells
The follicle is a multilaminar primary
follicle
Within the zona pellucida, ZP3 and

ZP4 are important sperm receptors

which induce acrosomal activation

Folliculogenesis
Under influence of FSH and LH,

epithelium further proliferates and

becomes multilayered secondary
follicle

Few of these follicles will proceed thru

oogenesis

Sources differ on how they differentiate

between secondary follicles and

multilaminar primary follicle OR
between secondary follicles and antral
follicles

Folliculogenesis
Secondary follicles that develop a fluid-filled cavity,

called the antrum antral follicles

The ovarian tissue surrounding the entire follicle
differentiates into 2 CT layers:

Theca interna inner layer: blood vessels, secretes 2

androgens
Androstenedione, converted to estradiol by
aromatase regulated by FSH
Testosterone, converted to estrogen by aromatase
regulated by LH
Aromatase is located in the granulosa cells
Theca externa outer layer: smooth muscles
One of the growing follicles becomes dominant over

the rest of the developing follicles (process

unknown)
Dominant follicle reaches the most developed stage
of follicular growth and undergoes ovulation
The other antral follicles undergo atresia

Folliculogenesis
Late antral follicle with some new structures
Much larger antrum (A), contains follicular

fluid

Hyaluronate, growth factors, plasminogen,

fibrinogen, anticoagulant heparin sulfate

proteoglycan, and high concentrations of steroids
(progesterone, androstenedione, and estrogens)

Notice that the oocyte (O) projects into the

antrum
Granulosa cells surrounding this occyte are
termed corona radiata (CR)
CR communicates with oocyte via gap junctions

between processes that cross the zona pellucida

Corona radiate and oocyte attach to the side

of the follicle via the cumulus oophorus (CO),

which is continuous with the remaining
granulosa cells

Folliculogenesis
Most developed stage of

folliculogenesis prior to
ovulation Graafian follicle (or
mature or preovulatory)
Antrum increases greatly in size
Thick thecal layers

Important: All this time the oocyte has not yet restarted meiosis, its still a
primary oocyte arrested at Prophase I (diplotene)

Lets take a quick break

Menstrual cycle

Composes of the ovarian cycle + uterine cycle

Made up of 3 phases: menstrual (1-5 days), proliferative (8-10 days), & secretory

(ovulation ~ 14 days)

Menstrual cycle
Menstrual Phase (Day 1-5):
Sloughing of the endometrium from the previous cycle
First day of menstrual cycle = first day of bleeding
Day 5, small numbers of responding follicles begin to produce
estrogen
Causes uterine endometrial lining to proliferate, initiating the next phase

Supplementary pdf, page 3

Menstrual cycle
Proliferative Phase (Day 5-15):
Hypothalamus secretes GnRHs
Pituitary gland produces:
FSH maturing follicles continue to develop
LH follicle cells signal to the oocyte to restart meiosis

FSH + LH cause thecal and follicle cells to produce estrogen

Endometrium proliferates, cervical mucus thins so sperm can enter uterus

Estrogen secretion peaks ~ day 14

Causes burst of GnRH burst of FSH & LH (ovulatory surge) which causes

ovulation!

Ovulation
Recount from folliculogenesis, we are now at the last stage, Graafian follicle
Oocyte resumes and completes the first meiotic division
Chromosome equally divided between 2 daughter cells but 1 daughter cells retains almost all

the cytoplasm secondary oocyte

The other becomes the 1st polar body

Nucleus of oocyte begins second meiotic division but arrests at metaphase II, never completes

meiosis unless fertilization occurs!

Supplementary pdf, page 2. Some discrepancies exist, but sources differ.

Menstrual cycle
Secretory (Luteal) Phase (Day 15-28):
After ovulation, granulosa cells and theca reorganize to form a larger endocrine

gland, the corpus luteum

Luteal cells secretes progesterone, which maintains uterine wall for implantation
Thecal cells (theca interna) secretes estrogen

Luteal cells also secretes inhibin turns off FSH production, preventing any more follicles

from maturing

If fertilization does not occur, corpus luteum degenerates to a scar of dense CT called corpus

albicans

If fertilization occurs, trophoblast cells of embryo

secretes a hormone, human chorionic gonadotropin
(hCG), which maintains the corpus luteum so that
progesterone levels stay high (Supplementary pdf page 6)

Corpus Luteum

Corpus albicans

For.Your.
Viewing.
Pleasure.

Menstrual cycle

References
UIC BIOS 325 Vertebrate embryology lecture
Dr. Taos lecture on Female Reproductive System
Mescher, Anthony L. "Junqueira's Basic Histology: Text & Atlas , by Anthony

L. Mescher." (2013).