16.9: The Ovaries

Anatomy and Physiology of Animals · LibreTexts

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    From LibreTexts, under CC BY-SA 3.0, as the source states it; its equations are written in TeX, which the PDF shows typeset. This page at LibreTexts.

    The ovaries, located in the lower abdomen, produce two important sex hormones.

    1. The follicle cells, under the influence of FSH (see the pituitary gland above), produce oestrogen, which stimulates the development of female sexual characteristics - the mammary glands, generally smaller build of female animals etc. It also stimulates the thickening of the lining of the uterus in preparation for pregnancy (see chapter 13).
    2. Progesterone is produced by the corpus luteum, the endocrine gland that develops in the empty follicle following ovulation (see chapter 13). It promotes the further preparation of the uterine lining for pregnancy and prevents the uterus contracting until the baby is born.

    Contributors and Attributions

    Ruth Lawson (Otago Polytechnic; Dunedin, New Zealand)

    This page titled 16.9: The Ovaries was last modified on Thu, 15 Sep 2022 20:02:54 GMT and is shared under a CC BY-SA 3.0 license and was authored, remixed, and/or curated by Ruth Lawson via source content that was edited to the style and standards of the LibreTexts platform.