The Development and Maturation of the Ovary

The role of the rete ovarii in early ovarian development has been discussed.The presence of the rete is necessary for the onset of meiosis as well as for early follicle formation.Discussing the role of gonadotropin in follicle growth experiments are reported in which PMSG is injected into 3 week old mice.Follicle counts which distinguish between healthy and atretic follicles show that PMSG does not increase the total number of large follicles but changes the balance between healthy and atretic follicles.It is suggested that gonadotropin rather than stimulating resting follicles to grow, prevents already growing follicles from becoming atretic.Finally, a short report is given on the development of the human ovary in childhood.The analysis of ca.50 ovaries at different ages shows that the ovary during childhood is not a quiet organ but one that shows follicle growth at all ages.