How many follicles should be in the ovaries: the norm and deviations. What is a dominant follicle? Follicle differentiation

Attention! It must be understood that the timing of the release of the egg (ovulation) is greatly influenced by hormones.

If, during the ovulatory phase, the development of follicular tissue is monitored, it is possible to see sharp increase epithelial cocoon, release of the egg, and then decrease. As a result, only corpus luteum, which is the remains of this very cocoon.

Growth table

For the clearest visualization of the development process, we present a table of its growth below. The data in it are calculated for women 29-32 years of age who do not use oral means, whose menstrual cycle is strictly regular and lasts the required 28 days.

Why is development not happening?

The reasons for improper development or even the cessation of growth can be many factors. Consider the most relevant of them:

1. The hypothalamus or pituitary gland is not working properly.
2. Infection or inflammation of the genital organs of a woman.
3. Body mass index less than 17.5.
4. Availability .
5. Underdevelopment or pathology of the ovaries.
6. Oncology.
7. Early onset of menopause.
8. Stress.

The search for causes should begin in hormonal disorders in the female body. Most often, this pathology is the main factor that stops the growth of the follicle in the ovary.

With dysfunction of the pituitary gland, or tumors, in the female body, a deficiency of the hormone FSH begins to be observed, a violation of the regulation of excretion thyroid gland and ovaries of active substances.

Also, inhibition of follicle development can be observed with poor performance or underdevelopment of the ovaries.

What happens before menstruation?

Before the onset of menstruation, the follicles of the primordial order are sequentially transformed into those of the preantral, antral, and preovulatory order. This process is called folliculogenesis.

Normally, folliculogenesis ends with ovulation - the release of an egg that is ripe and completely ready for fertilization. Where the follicle was located, the formation of endocrine active occurs.

Immediately before the onset of menstruation, the dominant follicle ruptures with the release of a sexually mature egg, ready for ovulation. A healthy woman may not even feel the symptoms of a ruptured follicle.

The beginning of folliculogenesis gives FSH, even in the late stage of the luteal phase. This process ends at the peak of gonadotropin release.

One day before the onset of menstruation, the body again experiences an increase in FSH levels, which starts the process over again. The follicular phase in the absence of any disorders or pathologies lasts for 14 days.

After menstruation

Most often, menstruation occurs 15-17 days after the onset of folliculogenesis. After the dominant follicle has completed its development, as already described above, it bursts, releasing an egg ready for fertilization.

It goes into the uterus and fallopian tubes to meet spermatozoa, and a corpus luteum forms in place of the ruptured dominant follicle.

As for the latter, this neoplasm is a very important transient hormonally active body, functioning for 14 days after its appearance.

It is it that is the main source of androgens, progesterone and estradiol. Further, it all depends on whether the fertilization of the egg occurs or not. If fertilization does not occur, then the corpus luteum gradually degrades and is brought out along with the rest of the secretions and the unfertilized cell.

In the case of fertilization, the corpus luteum temporarily provides a sufficient level of necessary hormones for the successful development of pregnancy.

Features of the follicular phase

The follicular phase occurs each time at the beginning of the monthly cycle. The main hormone for this period is FSH, which is responsible for stimulating the follicles, as well as providing start-up and maintenance of the process of formation of ovarian elements.

The duration of the follicular phase can vary between 7 and 22 days. In addition to the active development of follicles, this phase is also characterized by the separation and removal of the dead endometrium of the uterus.

The follicular phase can be briefly characterized by three processes:

• cleansing the walls of the uterus;
• development and growth of follicles;
• compaction of the renewed layer of the endometrium in the uterus.

What is the menstrual cycle

The menstrual cycle is the period between regular processes of exfoliation and removal from the body of the spent layer of the endometrium of the uterus.

The cycle is necessary with the inclusion of the first day of menstruation and ending with the first day of the next.

If you ask a qualified physician about how the formation of follicles occurs, he will answer you that it is phase.

This indicates the staged nature of the formation of follicles in the ovaries.

In the early phase, the growth of all follicles occurs at the same level, they develop simultaneously. A little later, one of them becomes dominant, significantly ahead of the rest in development.

The dominant follicle has a diameter of about 15 mm, while the growth of the remaining follicles is slowed down due to the process of reverse development, atresia. By the time of ovulation, the size of the dominant follicle reaches 18-24 mm. This is how dominant follicles form and develop.

After this, the follicles usually stop growing, because during ovulation it breaks. It is imperative that a rupture of the mature follicle occurs, since it is after it that the egg can come out.

In the same place where the follicle was, the corpus luteum begins to develop, the function of which is to produce certain hormones that prepare the body for pregnancy.

Why doesn't he burst?

It also happens that women have to wonder why the follicle does not burst. There are several reasons for this. The answer to this question may be too thick capsule walls or some hormonal problems.

If the corpus luteum described above is formed before the follicle has burst, then it is called non-ovulating. In this case, the dominant follicle can develop normally. But later - this is already a non-ovulating follicle, a corpus luteum is formed, but the rupture does not occur. Therefore, if a non-ovulating mature follicle has formed, then the egg cannot enter the abdominal cavity, which means that pregnancy becomes impossible.

The next stage of development is persistence. With persistence, a dominant follicle is also determined, which then develops normally to the desired size, but no rupture occurs. At the same time, such a persistent follicle continues to exist during the entire cycle. It is worth noting its certain feature, namely: a persistent non-ovulating follicle is able to persist after menstruation.

The persistence of an unruptured follicle has characteristics, including the absence of the corpus luteum, elevated level estrogen, reduced level progesterone (as in the first phase) and the absence of free fluid in the retrouterine space.

Absence of follicles

If the doctor found you have a complete absence of any follicles, this indicates ovarian dysfunction. With early menopause, which occurred before the age of 45, it is also not complete without the absence of follicles. Doctors do not consider this normal, so patients are prescribed hormone therapy and often - the activation of sexual life.

In addition, if a woman is having difficulty ovulating, this can be determined by the length of her menstrual cycle. If it is more than 35 days, or less than 21 days, then the risk of an immature or non-viable egg increases.

Why doesn't he mature?

Women around the world are forced to face the same question: why does the follicle not mature? The answers are still the same: early menopause, disruption of the ovaries, problems with ovulation - that's why they do not mature, or a so-called empty follicle is formed.

For young women, this is a cause for alarm, while for a woman "in years" it is practically the norm. An experienced doctor will tell you about anovulatory cycles.

These are menstrual cycles without ovulation. This time is considered a period of "rest", or regeneration of the ovaries, when a completely empty follicle is formed in them. This happens 2-3 times a year in a normal healthy woman, after 33 years the phenomenon will become more frequent up to 3-4 times annually.

The older you get, the more anovulatory cycles occur. Unnecessarily thin girls and women suffer from the absence of not only ovulation, but also menstruation, and especially those who regularly exhaust the body with diets. The amount of estrogen produced by them drops sharply, so ovulation disappears, and sometimes menstruation.

Wrong development

To diagnose infertility due to undeveloped follicles, ultrasound diagnostics can be used. Usually it is carried out on the 8-10th day after the start of the cycle and after menstruation. After the result of the study, the doctor can say about its following characteristics:

• normal ovulation;
• regression of the dominant follicle;
• persistence;
• follicular cyst;
• luteinization;
• the follicle does not rupture.

As you can see, with the help of a conventional ultrasound examination, several causes of infertility can be determined at once. Depending on what problems the doctor finds in your reproductive system, the appropriate treatment will be prescribed.

For the proper development of the egg, which directly affects the health of the unborn fetus and the course of pregnancy in general, nature has created a unique mechanism for its protection. Few people know that this task is performed by the follicles located in the ovaries in women.

A follicle in gynecology is a shell consisting of a group of cells formed by the body to protect and fully develop the egg.

In a healthy woman, a large number of follicles mature in the ovaries throughout life, according to the degree of development they are divided into:

• primordial;
• antral;
• dominant;
• preovulatory;
• persistent.

The main function of the follicle is to create a favorable environment until the full maturation of the egg and ensure its safety.

In case of well-functioning reproductive system the follicle accompanies the egg during the growth period, after which, under the influence of estrogen and luteinizing hormone, its walls become thinner, the membrane ruptures and ovulation occurs.

The most common cause of female infertility is the depletion of the ovarian follicular apparatus. Thanks to the symbiosis of technology and medicine, specialists can now detect such a deviation as the formation of a follicle without an egg, which can only be detected by puncturing the follicular fluid.

The development of follicles without an egg, or even its absence in the ovary, can be a serious problem for a couple and threaten infertility.

Primordial follicle

Primordial are small follicles in the ovaries that are not visible on ultrasound and are in the initial stage of their development. Their number in a woman is laid in the womb even before birth. By birth, a girl's ovaries may contain 1-2 million of these follicles, and by the time menstruation appears, about 300-400 thousand.

Each new cycle, the pituitary gland produces the hormone FSH, which stimulates the maturation of 5 to 30 primordial follicles, which subsequently become preantral or primary.

Antral follicles

Antral (secondary) are called follicles that have passed the first stage of development and have undergone structural changes. Each of them has high chances to full maturity until ovulation.

During this period, the follicles reach a size sufficient to determine their number using ultrasound.

dominant follicle

With the normal functioning of a woman's ovaries, one of the antral follicles stands out in larger, dominant sizes. It is one dominant follicle (rarely 2) that continues the development cycle and passes to the follow-up preovulatory stage, the rest regress.

Preovulatory follicle

In the preovulatory follicle, compared to the antral follicle, there is 100 times more liquid component, and the egg is attached to the oviduct.

The day before the expected ovulation, the theca cells of the follicle increase the level of estrogen, which stimulates an increase in the production of luteal hormone. The wall of the follicle at the site of the arcuate protrusion bursts, and the egg comes out of the follicle.

Persistent ovarian follicle

One of the reasons for the lack of ovulation may be the persistence of the dominant follicle. The shell remains intact, preventing the egg from leaving the ovary, and the follicle continues to exist.

This situation requires medical supervision as it may be accompanied by a long delay in the cycle. A persistent follicle in most cases exists for no more than 10 days, but the risks of its development into a cyst should not be ruled out.

The norm of follicles in the ovary

Before saying that the follicular apparatus is depleted, it is necessary to know how many follicles should be in the ovary during normal functioning of the organs of the reproductive system.

Normally, for a successful pregnancy, each of the ovaries should have up to 25 antral follicles, which are determined by ultrasound.

In the process of maturation of each follicle on the days of the cycle, their number decreases. On the 8-10th day, the largest and most developed dominant one stands out from the total mass of the antral ones. If such a follicle appears in two different ovaries, it is possible multiple pregnancy.

Solitary follicles in the ovary

The consequences of disruption of the female genital organs may be the formation of a single follicle in the ovary.

This pathology almost completely deprives a woman of the possibility of conception without the help of specialists, and also threatens with the onset of early menopause and premature aging.

Follicle size by day of cycle

In the process of follicle development from primordial to preovulatory growth rates are constantly increasing. The size of the dominant follicle by day of the cycle is presented in the table.

With the growth of follicles on the days of the cycle, their size may differ from generally accepted norms, a decrease in indicators indicates violations in the reproductive system and requires the supervision of a gynecologist.

How much do you need to conceive

Despite the fact that one ovulated follicle is required for conception, women with 11-26 antral follicles develop in the ovaries at once have the highest chances. Having 6-10 counts reduced rate so specialists can suggest stimulation.

Often, only 5 follicles in the ovary are clearly visible on ultrasound - this is low rate to be able to conceive a child.

To determine the ovarian follicular reserve, the following methods are used:

1. ultrasound. It is carried out from 1 to 4 days of the monthly cycle to count the number and measure the size of antral follicles, which have a direct relationship with the number of primordial follicles.
2. Measurement of the concentration of hormones in the blood. It is given on the 2-3rd day of the cycle, the ovarian reserve is inversely proportional to the concentration of FSH.

The most severe are the situations of maturation of only 4 follicles in the ovary. In this case, the normal development of the follicle and subsequent ovulation without the help of IVF specialists is almost impossible.

Deviations from the norm

The norms of the number of follicles and their sizes per different stages maturation are average values. Despite the individual characteristics of the woman's reproductive system, deviations from the normative indicators, both up and down, require more careful medical supervision.

Among the most common deviations are:

• multiple follicles in the ovaries;
• a small number of follicles;
• immaturity of the follicle;
• follicle persistence.

Any of the above deviations reduces a woman's chances of conceiving a baby and can lead to irreversible consequences.

Many follicles in the ovary

On the one hand, it is good for a woman if there are many follicles in the ovaries, but there is always a risk of developing polycystic disease, and the sooner treatment begins, the greater the likelihood of maintaining reproductive function.

This pathology is characterized by a large number follicular cysts, which prevents one of them from maturing to a dominant state. Ovulation does not occur, therefore, conception is impossible.

To treat a disease such as folliculosis (polycystic) of the ovaries begins with the use of combined oral contraceptives. Drugs regulate the amount of hormones, normalize the monthly cycle. At the same time, sports and a balanced diet are recommended, especially in cases of excess weight gain.

Few follicles in the ovaries

After the results of an ultrasound examination, a woman worries whether it is possible to become pregnant if there are few follicles in the ovaries.

A meager ovarian follicular apparatus is not yet a verdict. At right choice specialist, treatment and stimulation, the chances of pregnancy in a natural way increase.

Things are more complicated if the ovary is completely without follicles, which means that the direct function of the organ is lost. Reasons why follicles do not grow:

• genetic disorders (congenital);
• autoimmune processes;
• poisoning the body with chemotherapy, radiation;
• surgical interventions;
• inflammatory processes of a chronic nature;
• menopause.

During the onset of menopause, the number of follicles in the ovary decreases, the eggs practically do not form, and eventually disappear altogether.

If there are no follicles in the ovaries, the first thing a woman needs to do is to pass full examination, to identify the causes, prescribe the correct treatment and prevent negative consequences.

The follicles existing in the ovaries can be grown in such a way as stimulation:

1. Against the background of the abolition of oral contraceptives, temporarily suppressing the maturation of follicles, prescribed to the patient for 3-6 months. As a result, the ovaries begin to work in an enhanced mode after a long rest.
2. Stimulation stronger hormonal drugs, a number of them have serious side effects and may not be used frequently.

You can increase the number of follicles in the ovaries with both medication and folk remedies. To stimulate the growth of germ cells in the first phase, a decoction of sage is used, and closer to the second - from a boron uterus containing phytohormones. Herbal drink is being prepared at the rate of 1 tbsp. for 200-250 ml. water, brought to a boil and cooled. It is recommended to drink in equal parts during the day.

Please note that before using decoctions or medications during the stimulation period, be sure to consult your doctor, make sure that there are no allergic reactions.

Two dominant follicles in one ovary

This situation differs from generally accepted norms, but despite the need for constant medical supervision, it is not a pathology.

In the case of full maturation and ovulation of two dominant follicles, a multiple pregnancy can most likely develop. This feature of the ovaries is mostly genetic and is inherited.

Why the follicle does not mature

Specialists in gynecology identify a number of reasons why follicles do not mature in the ovaries:

• diseases of the endocrine system;
• lifestyle (stress, smoking, heavy physical activity);
• deviations in the work of the pituitary and hypothalamus;
• early menopause.

The problem is that at a certain stage of development, for one or more of the above reasons, growth stops. All follicles regress, including the preovulatory one, the shell of which remained intact.

Why did the follicle not burst

Taking certain medications, hormonal disruptions, early menopause and pregnancy can cause the persistence of the follicle.

You can find out that the follicle has burst by the following symptoms and signs:

• aching pain in the lower abdomen;
• increased mucous secretions, discoloration;
• increased sexual desire;
• increase in basal temperature.

To confirm the result, you can use a special test that reacts to the release of luteinizing hormone.

In some cases, remaining intact, the follicle develops into a cyst. Do not let the situation take its course - this can lead to serious complications.

The reproductive capacity of a woman gradually decreases with age. The ability to fertilize the female body in a specific period of time is determined by the presence of follicles in the ovary and compliance with the norm of their number. We will try to tell you what role follicles play in fertilization, how many of them should be and what are their normal parameters.

The follicle is the main structural unit of the ovaries; it is a vesicle containing the germ cell - the oocyte. Sex cells are laid down in female body from 6 to 10 weeks of fetal development in the amount of 1-2 million units. By the beginning of puberty, about 400,000 potential eggs remain in the ovarian reserve of the girl. At the end of puberty in each ovary of the girl there are already only about 25,000 oocytes, which continue to die further.

The germ cell goes through 4 stages of development before becoming an egg:

1. Primordial. The germinal state of germ cells, their size does not exceed 50 microns.
2. Preantral. Isolation of cells for subsequent maturation during one menstrual cycle. The cell diameter is 2 mm.
3. Antral. In the third stage, the follicular cavity is formed. The cell diameter does not exceed 8 mm.
4. Preovulatory. There is a release of the dominant follicle, which, under the influence of FSH and estrogen, bursts and releases the egg. The bubble size reaches 26 mm.

In order to assess the ovarian reserve, doctors use ultrasound to measure the number of antral cells. This is convenient, since the size of the secondary follicles is many times larger than that of the germinal ones, and their number is similar. The right and left ovaries during the reproductive period work with the same activity, therefore, an equal number of germ cells mature inside each of them every month.

To determine the size of the ovaries in women, assess the state of the ovarian reserve, calculate the days of ovulation and diagnose diseases of the appendages, a study of the condition and processes in the appendages in dynamics is carried out - folliculometry.

How is folliculometry done? doctor based on individual features women appoints 1 of 4-6 examinations on days 7-10 of the menstrual cycle. Each next examination takes place in 1-2 days.

Dominant follicles and their role

The dominant follicle is the preovulatory stage of germ cell maturation. As a rule, from 15 to 26 germ cells mature in the ovaries every month, of which 1, less often 2 or 3 dominants are released on days 7-8 of the menstrual cycle.

Persistent follicle

Monitoring of folliculogenesis reveals the abnormal development of the dominant, which prevents the egg from being released. As a rule, persistence implies low-quality reproductive material. Without treatment, a transition to a follicular cyst is possible.

Persistence comes from increased rate male hormones, therefore, to restore reproductive function, a woman is prescribed hormone therapy. The classical treatment regimen consists of taking medications from days 5 to 9 of the menstrual cycle, 8 days before the onset of menstruation, ovulation is stimulated by injection.

Absence of follicles

The absence of reproductive units suggests the presence of a low number or total absence antral cells that grow up to 8 mm and begin to regress. In this case, the isolation of the dominant follicle does not occur. Among the main reasons for which a violation of folliculogenesis can occur, there are:

• surgical and natural early menopause;
• improper functioning of the endocrine system;
• low estrogen levels;
• dysfunction of the pituitary gland;
• inflammatory processes in the ovary.

Outcome

Follicles are the structural unit of the ovaries, their quality and normal quantity determines the ability to procreate. Folliculogenesis monitoring helps track ovulation, assess ovarian reserve and detect possible pathologies folliculogenesis.

The normal amount for self-conception of a baby is 16-26 follicles in the appendages, if there are less than 15 vesicles, fertilization is possible using auxiliary methods. If there are less than 4 germ cells, then infertility is diagnosed.

Hello, dear readers of the blog site.
I want to tell you about how follicles mature in the female ovary, what is the follicle cycle. As it matures, it becomes dominant, ovulates.

How many situations do I see when a woman literally does not get out of the ultrasound room, tracking the growth of the follicle and hoping for ovulation. And if there is no ovulation, then the doctor will definitely recommend hormonal stimulation to cause it.

To make a well-informed decision about whether you need to stimulate ovulation, you need to have at least a little idea of ​​\u200b\u200bwhat is happening in the ovaries. And how will this intervention affect them, and it will be serious, because the entire endocrine system will be involved.

I met with situations when, after ovulation stimulation, the potential of the ovaries decreased tenfold. For example, AMH () before stimulation was 0.9 ng / ml, and after it became 0.01.

The ovaries are the main organs for a woman, this is our only source, the only "battery". And if it "discharges" ahead of time, then there will be no one to make claims, except for itself.

What is a follicle?

The follicle is an integral part of the ovary. It consists of an ovum which is surrounded epithelial cells and connective tissue.

How many follicles a woman has depends on her ability to give birth to a child, her health, beauty, youth, performance and quality of life.

Where do follicles come from?

The formation of follicles begins in the early prenatal period. Initially, the so-called primary, or indifferent gonad, is laid in the fetus ( gonad). Then follicles begin to form from its cells.

Until 7-8 weeks, the fetus has no signs of sex, and only after this period, sexual differentiation begins, and it becomes clear whether the boy is growing or a girl.

The follicle cycle is the stages of its development, the stages of its growth

As you understand, everything starts from the stage of reproduction, from cell division (mitosis), which begins in the indifferent gonad of the embryo.

After that, the development of the follicle continues. It passes into the stage of growth, which is divided into the stage of small and large growth, and then into the stage of maturation.

This occurs in several stages - the formation of a primary, secondary, tertiary (dominant) follicle, then - the phase of the yellow and white body. But let's consider everything in order.

breeding stage

The cells of the sex cords of the primary gonad in the girl begin to divide and form 5-7 million primary follicles. This is called the reproduction stage, and the resulting follicles are called primordial.

There are so many primordial follicles (from hundreds of thousands to millions) that outwardly it is somewhat reminiscent of eggs that are formed in fish at the time of spawning.

The number of primordial follicles that are formed in a little girl up to 5 months of intrauterine development depends on the love and passion of the parents, their age and state of health.

The stage of reproduction occurs in the ovaries of the girl only in the prenatal period, and never resumes again. This is one of the key differences between the male and female body.

Women have only what is laid only during the follicular reproduction stage. Further follicles are only spent. In men, germ cells are constantly renewed, until old age.

The formation of the primary (preantral) follicle - the stage of small growth

Until about 7-8 months of intrauterine development, some of the primordial follicles are, as it were, "reactivated", and the process of their further development begins.

They turn into primary (preantral) follicles - they undergo the first stage of meiosis - the formation of germ cells with a half set of chromosomes. It is these cells that are needed for fertilization and the beginning of a new life.

In the DNA of maturing eggs, crossing over occurs, that is, DNA strands change with each other in fragments. Therefore, the primordial follicles are already different from all body cells, and they need to be protected from the watchful eye of the immune system, which seeks to destroy everything alien. Sometimes this does not work, and one's own immunity can destroy the supply of primary follicles.

Not all primordial follicles can go through this stage - most of them die at this stage. If a girl had, for example, 5 million primordial follicles, then at this stage there may be only a million. The rest disappear, die, this process is called follicular atresia.

By the way, atresia can threaten not only primordial follicles. At any stage of maturation, death and disappearance of follicles can occur.

The rate and extent of atresia depends on many factors. It may happen that the primary potential is great, but pregnancy, childbirth, the development of a girl in the first years of life were accompanied by illness and stress, and the follicles will die, as if providing for what is happening to the girl, giving energy to it.

But back to intrauterine development. Those follicles that have passed the first stage of the maturation process can be said to be lucky, there are not so many of them left compared to the primary amount that is at the stage of reproduction.

At the stage of formation of the preantral follicle, meiosis stops for many years. Until puberty, the remaining primordial and primary (preantral) follicles will be at rest, not responding to any fluctuations in the hormonal background. It is known that some follicles in the resting stage can be up to 50 years old!

The formation of a secondary (antral) follicle - the stage of large growth

The dormant stage ends and the follicle cycle resumes, starting with puberty. Every month, from a few dozen to several hundred preantral follicles begin to activate, and turn into an antral follicle, which already looks like a small bubble.

The period of maturation of the secondary (antral) follicle lasts up to 300 days. Not all primary follicles turn into secondary ones, most of them die along the way. Atresia (death) awaits the developing sex cell at any stage.

Formation of a tertiary follicle - continuation of large growth

The tertiary follicle (Graafian vesicle or dominant follicle) is formed under the influence of FSH (follicle-stimulating hormone).

Up to this point, the follicles were insensitive to pituitary hormones, the main control was for anti-Müllerian hormone (AMH), which inhibited their development.

A very small number of antral (secondary) follicles pass into the tertiary follicle stage. The rest - perish, undergo atresia.

The bubble increases, the egg inside it goes through all the stages of meiosis, but not yet to the end. Nutrients accumulate in the egg, it prepares to leave the follicle and complete the development cycle.

The tertiary follicle stage lasts about 6 days, and ends with the full readiness of the egg for ovulation. Outwardly, this stage can be seen from the fetal (extensible as a raw egg white) secret of the cervix that appears in a woman.

The granular cells of the follicle produce estrogens, and gradually there are more and more of them. The more estrogen, the less the pituitary gland produces follicle-stimulating hormone. The pituitary gland reduces stimulation, receiving from the follicle the message that the egg is almost ready. This is called "negative feedback".

But there is also a positive feedback - the more estrogen is produced in the follicle, the higher the level of luteinizing hormone (LH) becomes.

Already a few hours (about 12 hours) before ovulation, granular cells begin to "turn yellow", luteinize, and begin to produce progesterone. That is, the yellow body begins to work.

By the way, you can see it on an ultrasound and decide that ovulation has occurred. But this has not yet happened, and a woman may draw incorrect conclusions about the stage of the cycle.

In addition, the study itself (ultrasound) is quite capable of blocking ovulation, and a ready-made egg, having gone such a long way, will not come out.

Normally, the growth of LH continues after the growth of estrogens, and at the "peak" values ​​of LH, the follicle ruptures and the egg is released into the abdominal cavity - ovulation.

To the level of the Graafian vesicle, as a rule, several follicles try to mature. All of them produce estrogen. But only one reaches full maturity. The rest, as always, atreziruyutsya.

Follicle maturation stage

The period or stage of maturation begins at the moment when the maturing ovum is located in the oviferous tubercle of the tertiary follicle (in the cumulus) and is surrounded by a radiant crown. The follicle cycle is coming to an end, but not yet completed, meiosis is not completed, half the set of chromosomes has not yet formed.

The maturation stage is the shortest of all. It starts at the peak of LH, about 12 hours before ovulation, and ends only after fertilization, about 1-2 days.

Meiosis ends completely only after ovulation, provided that fertilization has taken place. If it was not there, then the follicle cycle remains incomplete, the egg dies approximately 12-24 hours after ovulation.

Fertilization takes place in the fallopian tube. The penetration of the sperm into the egg is the starting point for the resumption of meiosis, it ends with the formation of a half set of chromosomes.

At this time, the egg already has sperm chromosomes, and they merge to form a zygote - the first cell from which a child will grow. In fact, the end of the follicle cycle is the first hours of human life.

After ovulation, a corpus luteum forms at the site of the tertiary follicle.

The egg is no longer there. Her cycle is complete. And the follicle itself, as we know it, disappears. In its place, a corpus luteum is formed, in which the hormone of motherhood, progesterone, is produced.

The corpus luteum normally exists from 10 to 16 days, sometimes, extremely rarely, up to 12 weeks in the form of a corpus luteum cyst. It does not require any intervention, the corpus luteum cyst disappears by itself.

If fertilization does not occur, then the corpus luteum turns into a white (whitish) body, in which androgens are produced - the raw material for future estrogens. Androgens, in principle, are produced in the theca cells of atretic follicles, they stimulate the development of new portions of maturing follicles.

A woman is menstruating, and a new portion of secondary (antral) follicles enters the stage of development of the tertiary follicle. By this time they are already ready, ripened for a long time, remember? - up to 300 days! And everything repeats from the beginning.

If fertilization has happened, then the corpus luteum exists for 5-7 weeks, giving way to the chorion. It is the chorion, and then the placenta, that take on the function of producing progesterone, which is very necessary for feeding and warming the baby.

We spend the follicular supply all our lives

How many children does a woman have? One, two, maximum three. They used to give birth more. This means that the entire cycle of the follicle is completed in a woman's life only a few times. At the start, we have millions of opportunities, only a few reach the finish line.

All dying follicles give away their huge potential, and we live on this potential. Our ovaries are constantly "discharging" throughout life, releasing the power hidden in them of possible human lives that did not happen.

Medicine now widely uses ovulation stimulation, agitates young women for egg donation, convincing them that it's okay, there are millions of follicles.

But it's not. Behind one mature and ovulated follicle are hundreds of thousands of dead "along the way." Our "battery" is discharged during these manipulations many times faster, like a phone in the cold.

Menopause occurs when there are about a thousand primary follicles. It's up to you if you want to approximate this time by using hormonal contraceptives, stimulation of ovulation and so on.

Stay young and healthy, take care of your ovaries.

I wish you happiness. :)
Sincerely, Elena Volzhenina.