Follicle Stages and Follicular Atresia

  • Katharina Spanel-Borowski
Chapter
First Online:

Abstract

Stages of folliculogenesis are compared with stages of inadequate follicle growth in the dog ovary. The impaired development of the oocyte and the granulosa cell layer is judged as a separate process occurring apart from follicular atresia, which entails oocyte cell death in preantral follicles in pathway A. Apoptotic granulosa cells in antral follicles characterize pathway B. The two completely different atretic pathways A and B signify a different molecular pattern for survival of granulosa cells and of the oocyte, respectively. Whole-body X-irradiation leads to inadequate follicle growth, to atresia with pathway B in preantral follicles and with severe hyalinization of the basement membrane in antral follicles, as well as to endocrine tumors. Thus, irradiation causes changes of the molecular pattern in pathways A and B.

Keywords

Granulosa Cell Zona Pellucida Follicle Cell Antral Follicle Primordial Follicle 
These keywords were added by machine and not by the authors. This process is experimental and the keywords may be updated as the learning algorithm improves.
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Copyright information

© Springer Verlag Berlin Heidelberg 2012

Authors and Affiliations

  • Katharina Spanel-Borowski
    • 1
  1. 1.Institute of Anatomy University of LeipzigLeipzigGermany

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