Ovarian follicle
| Ovarian follicle | |
|---|---|
Histology section of a mature ovarian follicle. The oocyte is the large, round, pink-staining cell at top center of the image. | |
| Details | |
| Precursor | Cortical cords |
| Identifiers | |
| Latin | folliculus ovaricus |
| MeSH | D006080 |
| TA98 | A09.1.01.013 |
| TA2 | 3482 |
| FMA | 18640 |
| Anatomical terminology | |
An ovarian follicle is a roughly spheroid cellular aggregation set found in the ovaries. It secretes hormones that influence stages of the menstrual cycle. In humans, women have approximately 200,000 to 300,000 follicles at the time of puberty, each with the potential to release an egg cell (ovum) at ovulation for fertilization. These eggs are developed once every menstrual cycle with around 300-400 being ovulated during a woman's reproductive lifetime.