Oogenesis and the Ovarian Cycle

• When does the menstrual cycle usually begins?

  Puberty
• Menopause - the period in which a woman's reproductive capability ends
• Oogenesis - the production of the female gametes
• Oogonia - the female stem cells, the multiply rapidly to increase their number
• Primary oocytes - the daughter cells of the oogonia
• Primordial Follicles - a primary oocytes being surrounded by a single layer of cells, which grow to become primary follicle
• Follicle-Stimulating Hormone - stimulates a small number of primary follicles to grow and mature each month, which begins the process of ovulation
• Ovarian Cycle - constitute to the cyclic changes that occur monthly i the ovary
• Antrum - fluid in the central chamber
• Secondary oocyte - the larger cell that appears when the first meiotic division occurs
• Polar Body - the very tiny cell that appears when the first meiotic division occurs
• Corona Radiata - a follicle-cell capsule that surrounds the secondary oocyte
• Luteinizing Hormone - the one that ovulates the oocytes
• Corpus Luteum - a very different hormone-producing structure that appears when the ruptured follicle transforms