ovaries

Examples of ovaries in the following topics:

• Ovaries

  • Ovaries secrete both estrogen and progesterone.
  • The ovaries are tethered to the body wall via the suspensory ligament of the ovary.
  • The ovaries are the site of gamete (egg cell, oocyte) production. 
  • If there was a case where one ovary was absent or dysfunctional then the other ovary would continue providing eggs to be released.
  • Ovaries secrete estrogen, progesterone, and testosterone.  

• Male and Female Gonads

  • The gonads in males are the testes and the gonads in females are the ovaries.
  • The gonads in males are the testes and the gonads in females are the ovaries.
  • Usually each ovary takes turns releasing eggs every month; however, if there was a case where one ovary was absent or dysfunctional then the other ovary would continue providing eggs to be released.
  • Ovaries secrete both estrogen and progesterone.
  • The left ovary is visible above the label ovarian arteries.

• Ovarian Cysts

  • An ovarian cyst is a fluid-filled vacuole within or on an ovary.
  • Some surgeries can be performed to successfully remove the cyst(s) without hurting the ovaries, while others may require removal of one or both ovaries.
  • A polycystic-appearing ovary is diagnosed based on its enlarged size — usually twice normal —with small cysts present around the outside of the ovary.
  • It can be found in women with normal ovaries, and in women with endocrine disorders.
  • An ultrasound is used to view the ovary in diagnosing the condition.

• Angsiosperm Fruit

  • A fertilized, fully grown, and ripened ovary containing a seed forms what we know as fruit, important seed dispersal agents for plants.
  • In botany, a fertilized, fully-grown, and ripened ovary is a fruit.
  • As the seed develops, the walls of the ovary in which it forms thicken and form the fruit, enlarging as the seeds grow.
  • Another distinction is that not all fruits are derived from the ovary.
  • Some fruits are derived from separate ovaries in a single flower, such as the raspberry.

• Anatomy of the Female Reproductive System

  • The human female reproductive system contains two main parts: the uterus and the ovaries, which produce a woman's egg cells.
  • The vagina is attached to the uterus through the cervix, while the uterus is attached to the ovaries via the fallopian tubes.
  • At certain intervals, the ovaries release an ovum, which passes through the fallopian tube into the uterus.
  • Approximately every month, a process of oogenesis matures one ovum to be sent down the fallopian tube attached to its ovary in anticipation of fertilization.
  • An anatomically female's internal reproductive organs are the vagina, uterus, fallopian tubes, cervix, and ovary.

• Ovarian Cancer

  • Ovarian cancer arises from the epithelial layer of the ovary and in some cases, the fallopian tube.
  • Ovarian cancer is a cancerous growth arising from the ovary.
  • Most (more than 90%) ovarian cancers are classified as "epithelial" and are believed to arise from the surface (epithelium) of the ovary.
  • Since the ovaries and tubes are closely related to each other, it is thought that these fallopian cancer cells can mimic ovarian cancer.
  • The ovaries contain eggs and secrete the hormones that control the reproductive cycle.

• Development of Fruit and Fruit Types

  • After fertilization, the ovary of the flower usually develops into the fruit.
  • The term "fruit" is used for a ripened ovary.
  • If the fruit develops from a single carpel or fused carpels of a single ovary, it is known as a simple fruit, as seen in nuts and beans.
  • Simple fruits, such as these nuts, are derived from a single ovary.
  • Accessory fruits, like apples, are formed from a part of the plant other than the ovary.

• Female Duct System

  • The fallopian tubes, or oviducts, connect the ovaries to the uterus.
  • The fallopian tubes, also known as oviducts, uterine tubes, and salpinges (singular salpinx) are two very fine tubes lined with ciliated epithelia, leading from the ovaries of female mammals into the uterus, via the utero-tubal junction.
  • In non-mammalian vertebrates, the equivalent structures are the oviducts.In a woman's body the tube allows passage of the egg from the ovary to the uterus.
  • When an ovum is developing in an ovary, it is encapsulated in a sac known as an ovarian follicle.

• Female Hormones

  • The stages of the ovarian cycle in the female are regulated by hormones secreted by the hypothalamus, pituitary, and the ovaries.
  • In addition, estrogens and progesterone are released from the developing follicles, which are structures on the ovaries that contain the maturing eggs.
  • Slowly-rising levels of FSH and LH cause the growth of follicles on the surface of the ovary, which prepares the egg for ovulation.
  • As women approach their mid-40s to mid-50s, their ovaries begin to lose their sensitivity to FSH and LH.
  • The ovarian and menstrual cycles of female reproduction are regulated by hormones produced by the hypothalamus, pituitary, and ovaries.

• Menopause

  • Menopause is the permanent cessation of the primary functions of the human ovaries, usually in a woman's 40's or 50's.
  • The transition from reproductive to non-reproductive is the result of a reduction in female hormonal production by the ovaries.
  • In addition, women who have some sort of functional disorder affecting the reproductive system (e.g., endometriosis, polycystic ovary syndrome, cancer of the reproductive organs) can go into menopause at a younger age than the normal timeframe.
  • An early menopause can be related to cigarette smoking, higher body mass index, racial and ethnic factors, illnesses, chemotherapy, radiation and the surgical removal of the uterus and/or both ovaries.
  • After menopause, estrogen continues to be produced in other tissues, notably the ovaries, but also in bone, blood vessels and even in the brain.