tertiary ovarian follicle

antral follicle

A follicle that has reached the most mature stage of folliculogenesis, characterized by the presence of the antrum.

Type Organ
Structure parente ovarian follicle
Nom latin antral follicle
FMA ID 18641

Questions fréquentes

What distinguishes a tertiary ovarian follicle from earlier follicle stages?
A tertiary ovarian follicle, also called a Graafian follicle, is distinguished by the presence of the follicular antrum — a fluid-filled cavity that forms within the granulosa cell layers. This antrum is absent in primordial, primary, and secondary follicles, making antrum formation the defining milestone of the tertiary stage.
What is the fate of a tertiary ovarian follicle?
In each menstrual cycle, typically one tertiary follicle becomes dominant and continues to enlarge. At ovulation, the mature Graafian follicle ruptures to release the oocyte. The remaining follicular cells then transform into the corpus luteum, which secretes progesterone to support early pregnancy.
How large does a tertiary ovarian follicle grow?
A mature tertiary (Graafian) follicle can reach 15–25 mm in diameter just before ovulation. Transvaginal ultrasound can visualize these follicles during assisted reproductive procedures, allowing clinicians to time ovulation trigger injections accurately.

Structures associées

mucus body coating mucous body coating mucus cocoon mucous cocoon Mullerian duct ductus paramesonephricus multi cell part structure cell part cluster multicellular anatomical structure multicellular structure multilaminar epithelium laminated epithelium multi-tissue structure multi-tissue structures multi-unit eye

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Data sources: Terminologia Anatomica, Foundational Model of Anatomy, Wikidata.