By first seeing the whole ovulation process in mice on film, scientists have unearthed fresh understanding of this life-giving phenomena.
Since ovulation happens inside the body, direct observation of it has been difficult. A developed egg is expelled from the ovary during ovulation, ready for either fertilization or ejection during menstruation.
Now, German researchers have recorded live video of ovulation from beginning to end, offering hitherto unheard-of levels of process clarity. A press release from the Max Planck Institute claims that ovulation is enabled in great part by a certain cell type.
Female mature eggs are housed within the ovaries in fluid-filled sacs called follicles. The egg's trip to the uterus starts in these sacs. Two main reasons have made observing ovulation challenging historically:
Unpredictable Location: It's difficult to know where ovulation will occur given two ovaries.
Ovulation timing is difficult to exactly identify.
But by regularly monitoring mouse follicles, researchers have now been able to capture this elusive process. The study team found three separate phases of ovulation in which the follicle changes: it expands, contracts, and at last releases the egg. The first stage, according to the study, is fluid flowing into the follicle causing it to "expand significantly." Hyaluronic acid is produced during this phase; it seems necessary for the ovulation process.
The scientists also noted the part smooth muscle cells found in organs and blood vessels outside of human awareness. These cells help the follicle to constrict, therefore releasing the matured egg. Effective ovulation depends on this contraction, which was produced by muscle cells.
The follicle collapses in the last step to release the egg. The surface of the follicle bulges and finally cracks, freeing the egg to begin its trip toward possible fertilization, researchers observed.