The Functions of the ovaries In the woman's body are clearly reproductive. These gonads or organs are responsible for producing and releasing oocytes suitable for fertilization.
Similarly, the ovaries are responsible for producing reproductive hormones such as estrogen and progesterone.
Women have a pair of ovaries about the size of a thumb, each held by a membrane on either side of the uterus in the lower abdomen. Without them, the reproduction of human beings would not be possible.
During ovulation, an oocyte is expelled through a cavity located in the ovary, known as the follicle. The oocyte release is made possible by the hormones gonadotropins released by the pituitary gland , Luteinizing hormone and follicle stimulating hormone. In this line, it is recommended to have a good feed and start some Remedies Homemade
Thus, the follicle or corpus luteum located in the ovary is responsible for the release of the female reproductive hormones known as estrogen and progesterone. These hormones regulate the menstruation and the development of the sexual organs and for this to be possible. In turn, reproductive hormones and gonadotropin interact every month to control the menstrual cycle.
In general, a woman can be born with 1 to 2 million oocytes and as a curiosity, these cells do not regenerate or can be re-produced since their number is in constant decline throughout the life of the woman.
However, it is estimated that when a woman reaches puberty, she retains only 25% of her oocytes and the functions of her ovaries begin to decline around 37 years. Therefore, the fertility of the woman is affected gradually, until reaching the menopause.
Oocyte release process
In principle, all Oocytes Conserved within the ovary follicles are immature. Each month, an oocyte must go through a process of growth and maturation, until finally it is released.
This process will occur thousands of times during the life of a woman, since the ovaries have the function of containing the oocytes until they reach maturity. However, most oocytes (approximately 75%) will not reach maturity and die.
Normally, the mechanism of maturation of an oocyte within the ovary lasts at least 14 days and can be divided into two different periods. During the initial period, many oocytes (about 1,000) begin the maturation process. But during the second stage of the oocyte development process, the release of reproductive hormones is required to stimulate their full development.
However, although many oocytes start the maturation process, only one will be dominant during the menstrual cycle and reach maturity, so that once mature the oocyte can be fertilized. As a counterpart, the rest of the oocytes will die when they do not start the maturation process until they reach the first stage of development.
The number of oocytes contained by the ovaries will be reduced every month. In this way, fewer oocytes will begin the maturation process little by little. In fact, once these are over, they will stop being released by the ovaries just as reproductive hormones will no longer be produced to stimulate oocyte growth. It is what is known as menopause.
For its part, once the oocyte reaches the uterus, it will wait for 48 hours to be fertilized. The reproductive hormones produced by the ovaries will be responsible for contributing to the development and stimulation of the oocyte, so that it is ready to be fertilized.
In case the oocyte is not fertilized, it will die in about a week. In this way, a new cycle begins where the ovaries will exercise their reproductive functions.
Affections of the ovaries
Any medical condition can affect the correct functioning of the ovaries and decrease the woman's fertility levels even though she has not yet reached menopause.
The woman should reach menopause after the age of 50, when this process occurs before age 40, it is said that the woman had a premature menopause or an insufficiency in the regular functions of the ovaries.
The condition that most commonly interferes with the regular functioning of the ovary is known as polycystic ovarian syndrome, which affects approximately 5% to 10% of women worldwide in reproductive age.
In a polycystic ovary the follicles mature to a certain extent and stop growing, avoiding the release of the oocyte. In this way, the follicles take on the appearance of cysts when they are observed during a pelvic ultrasound.
Any abnormality that affects the development and growth of the ovaries, such as Turner syndrome, can alter the proper functioning of the female reproductive organs and the fertility of women.
Similarly, the ovaries can be damaged by medical treatments that seek relief from other diseases. Usually, cancer patients treated with chemotherapy or radiation therapy tend to be less fertile.
When there are cases of amenorrhea or absence of the menstrual cycle during the reproductive years of a woman, the functions of the ovaries are immediately impaired. An example of this lack of menstruation can be anorexia or any type of eating disorder as well as the accelerated loss in body fat levels (especially in high-performance athletes).
However, in cases of amenorrhea, regular ovarian functions can be restored once body fat levels increase.
On the other hand, disorders in the pituitary gland can affect the normal function of the ovaries since the production of hormones is not given on a regular basis.
In this way, the stimulation necessary for the production of the hormones for the development of the follicles in the ovaries is reduced. Among other alterations, there is some change in the thyroid gland, which can affect the normal activity of the ovaries.
References
- Endocrinology, S.F. (January 7, 2015). Your Hormones . Obtained from Ovaries: yourhormones.info
- Futterweit, W. (2012). Polycystic Ovarian Disease. New York: Springer Verlag.
- Grudzinskas, J.G., & Yovich, J.L. (1995). Gametes - The Oocyte. New York: Cambridge University Press.
- Medicine, M. (2017). Comprehensive Cancer Center . Obtained from Normal Ovarian Function: mcancer.org
- Team, H. M. (March 18, 2015). Healthline Medical . Obtained from Ovary: healthline.com
- Trounson, A. O., & Gosden, R. G. (2003). Biology and Pathology of the Oocyte. New York: Cambridge University Press.
- Vliet, E. L. (2003). It's My Ovaries, Stupid! New York: Scribner.