Folliculogenesis

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Although the process is similar in many animals, this article will deal exclusively with human folliculogenesis. Folliculogenesis takes place in the ovary as the progressive maturation of a primordial follicle, an early ovarian follicle, that contains the developing egg cell. This process is interdependent with oogenesis, the development of an oocyte to a mature egg cell capable of being fertilized. The pool of primordial follicles is established during prenatal development. Each primordial follicle consists of an oocyte surrounded by a layer of somatic cells known as pre-granulosa cells or follicular cells. The follicle is encapsulated by a follicular basal lamina. At puberty the primordial cells become activated to transition to primary follicles, secondary follicles and pre-ovulatory antral follicles capable of releasing a mature egg cell. This stage takes place in the menstrual cycle as the follicular phase of the ovarian cycle, and takes around two and a half months. Primordial follicles...

Read on Wikipedia · Image Huan Ting Ong, Diane C. Saunders, et al. (illustration by L. S. E. Kim for Figs. 1, 2, 4, 6; BioRender for Figs. 3, 5, 7), CC BY 4.0