MH 163 Ovary

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Ovary

The corpus luteum develops from the collapsed follicle after ovulation under the influence of luteinizing hormone (LH) from the pituitary.

- a temporary endocrine organ that can grow to be 1 to 5 cm in diameter.
- It is composed of two types of cells:
  - - centrally located cells derived from granulosa cells. They form the majority of the corpus luteum.
    - (~30 µm diameter) with eosinophilic cytoplasm.
    - Secrete progesterone and convert androgens formed by theca lutein cells into estrogen.
  - - more peripherally located cells derived from theca interna cells.
    - (~15 µm diameter) more deeply stained than granulosa lutein cells.
    - Secrete androgens, progesterone and some estrogen.
- - digested by macrophages at its periphery and replaced by .
- after a corpus luteum ceases to function it degrades into a fibrous scar that is eventually removed. There are many of them in this specimen.
Atretic Follicles (,) - follicles that fail to reach maturity and ovulation degrade by atresia. The disintegration of the by apoptosis is an early event.

Technical Note: The alternating dark and light bands across the bottomare an artifact from sectioning the tissue.