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Abstract

The follicle is the structural unit within the ovary where endocrine-acting sex steroids and hormones are synthesized and the development of a mature oocyte capable of being fertilized occurs. It is comprised of the oocyte and the surrounding somatic cells, which includes primarily granulosa cells (GCs) and theca cells (TCs). The formation of a mature oocyte requires interactions with these somatic cells, either through direct or indirect means. Follicles initially appear in primates at mid-gestation, when there are approximately 7 million oocytes present in the fetal ovary, of which only 15-20% survive at the time of birth2,3. At this stage of development, oocytes reside in large nests of germ cells that are devoid of somatic cells. Each oocyte is subsequently enclosed by a flattened layer of GCs during the third trimester of pregnancy in primates, resulting in the formation of a primordial follicle. At birth, there is a fixed number of primordial follicles that defines the ovarian reserve and reproductive lifespan of an individual4-6. Thus, the primordial follicle pool serves as the source of all subsequent mature ovulatory follicles.

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