About Ovaries

The ovaries are a pair of female reproductive organs that contain unfertilized human eggs called ovum. At birth human ovaries contain from 150,000 to 500,000 cells which can potentially develop into eggs, 300 to 400 of which will actually mature into ovum. Although the ovaries are not necessary for an individual's survival they are essential for human reproduction.

Function

• The main function of the ovaries is the production of eggs. In adult women eggs mature in the ovaries and an egg is released from one of the ovaries approximately every 28 days. The ovaries also produce and secrete important hormones, most notably estrogen and progesterone. These hormones guide the growth of the female sex organs and initiate the changes that occur in women during puberty including the onset and maintenance of the menstrual cycle.

Identification

• The ovaries are located in the pelvis on either side of the uterus. Both ovaries are attached to the broad ligament of the uterus and are positioned in front of the pelvic wall in a depression called the ovarian fossa. Grayish-pink in color and oval in shape, the ovaries are approximately 4 cm long, 2 cm wide and 8 mm thick according to Gray's Anatomy.

Features

• At birth the ovaries contain immature egg cells, called follicles. During puberty these follicles become sensitive to pituitary hormones which cause them to divide and grow into a larger structure which contains the immature egg surrounded by additional calls called granulose cells. During ovulation only one follicle develops fully into an ovum and is released into the uterus. Unreleased eggs which have started to develop eventually die and are reabsorbed by the ovaries.

Time Frame

• The ovaries are present in females at birth and undergo several major changes through a woman's life. Some growth of the follicles occurs from birth to puberty. The ovaries are hormonally activated during puberty when ovulation begins. Ovulation continues from puberty up until menopause, when the ovaries atrophy, stop releasing eggs and no longer serve any function. The last menstrual cycle for women typically occurs between the ages of 45 and 50.

Considerations

• The ovaries are susceptible to cancer, one of the deadliest cancers in women. The early symptoms of ovarian cancer- bloating, back or abdomen pain, urinary urgency and constipation, may often be overlooked or mistaken for another illness. The result of these vague symptoms is often a delay in the diagnosis of ovarian cancer and one of the reasons ovarian cancer is so deadly. If detected early 9 in 10 women survive ovarian cancer for five years or more.