Oocyte Development
Introduction
Prior to release from the ovary oocytes (eggs, ova) are arrested at an early stage of the first meiotic division as a primary oocyte (primordial follicle). Following purberty, during each menstrual cycle, pituitary gonadotrophin stimulates completion of meiosis 1 the day before ovulation. Early oocytes are also classified as immature (germinal vesicle (GV) or metaphase I (MI) stage).
| Cell Division - Meiosis | In Vitro Fertilization
Oogenesis
A human infant ovary histology, showing the large number of oocytes occupying the ovary cortical region. Compare this with a mature ovary and note the absence of any follicle development in the infant. These early oocytes remain at the diplotene stage of the meiosis I during development from fetal life and postnatal childhood, until puberty when the lutenizing hormone (LH) surges stimulate the resumption of meiosis.
- Links: Cell Division - Meiosis
The graph below shows the changes in human germ cell numbers in the ovary with age, peaking at about 7 million (occuring in early fetal development) and then decreasing by apopotic cell death. At puberty there remain only about 400,000 and only about 10% of these will be released through reproductive life. (More? Menstrual Cycle)
Graph based on data from Hassold, etal., 1996[1]
Meiosis
In females, the total number of eggs ever to be produced are present in the newborn female initially arrested at the diplotene stage of the meiosis I from fetal life through childhood until puberty, when the lutenizing hormone (LH) surges stimulate the resumption of meiosis.
- All eggs are arrested at an early stage of the first meiotic division as a primary oocyte (primordial follicle). Following purberty, during each menstrual cycle, pituitary gonadotrophin stimulates completion of meiosis 1 the day before ovulation.
- In meiosis 1, a diploid cell becomes 2 haploid (23 chromosomes) daughter cells, each chromosome has two chromatids. One cell becomes the secondary oocyte the other cell forms the first polar body.
- The secondary oocyte then commences meiosis 2 which arrests at metaphase and will not continue without fertilization.
- At fertilization meiosis 2 completes, forming a second polar body. Note that the first polar body may also undergo this process forming a third polar body.
Abnormalities
Meiotic non-disjunction resulting in aneuploidy, most are embryonic lethal and not seen. The potential for genetic abnormalities increase with maternal age.
- Autosomal chromosome aneuploidy
- trisomy 21 - Down syndrome
- trisomy 18 - Edwards syndrome
- trisomy 13 - Patau syndrome
- Sex chromosome aneuploidy
- monosomy X - Turner's Syndrome
- trisomy X - Triple-X syndrome
- 47 XXY - Klinefelter's Syndrome
Oocyte-Follicle cell Interaction
The oocyte and the surrounding granulosa cells have a complex paracrine interactions during follicle growth and development. Oocyte maturation has been shown to depend on secretory products of both the granulosa and cumulus cells.
Oocyte Factors
- promotes granulosa cell proliferation in preantral and antral follicles (GDF-9, BMP15)
- cumulus expansion and granulosa cell differentiation are dependent upon oocyte-derived factors
- BMP15 inhibits FSH-stimulated progesterone production
Additional Images
References
- ↑ <pubmed>8908177</pubmed>
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- NCBI Bookshelf oocyte | oogenesis | oocyte development
- Pubmed oocyte | oogenesis | oocyte development
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Cite this page: Hill, M.A. (2024, April 23) Embryology Oocyte Development. Retrieved from https://embryology.med.unsw.edu.au/embryology/index.php/Oocyte_Development
- © Dr Mark Hill 2024, UNSW Embryology ISBN: 978 0 7334 2609 4 - UNSW CRICOS Provider Code No. 00098G