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Graaf’s follicle is an ovarian follicle in the last stage of development. It plays a very important role during the woman’s menstrual cycle. When fully ripe, it bursts, releasing an egg ready for fertilization. What is its structure and role? What happens when it doesn’t break?
Graaf’s bubble – characteristics
Graaf’s follicle is the ovarian follicle that surrounds the egg, the last stage of follicular development. It plays a huge role during the menstrual cycle in women. Initially, there are many follicles in the ovaries, only with time the dominant one with the Graafa aisle can be distinguished from among them. In order for a Graaf follicle to form, the primary ovarian follicle must transform into a growing ovarian follicle, and this into a maturing ovarian follicle. it takes about two weeks for the ovarian follicle to fuse.
About the middle of the menstrual cycle, the follicle ruptures under the influence of luteinizing hormone. It is he who, under the influence of hormones, will release the egg, which will be ready for fertilization for 12 hours. A Graaf vesicle is an egg cell surrounded by nutrient cells along with the follicular fluid. It has a spherical shape and measures 1,5-2,5 cm in diameter. It is covered with a sheath with blood and lymph vessels filled with follicular fluid, where an egg is released during ovulation. The time of the release of the egg is ovulation, also known as ovulation, in which the egg travels through the fallopian tube to the uterus. Before ovulation, a bulge forms on the surface of the ovary.
After the egg is released, the ruptured Graaf follicle fills with a blood clot and forms the so-called hemorrhagic corpuscle. The released egg goes to the fallopian tube and the empty follicle transforms into a corpus luteum. In this form, it will last until fertilization. If the egg is fertilized during this time, the Graaf follicle becomes the gestational yellow body. On the other hand, when the egg is not fertilized by any sperm, the Graaf follicle turns into a white body and then disappears. This is when menstrual bleeding occurs, signifying the exfoliation of the lining of the womb, which ends the menstrual cycle.
Graaf’s vesicle after fertilization
Graaf’s follicle, after fertilization, turns into the gestational corpus luteum. It stimulates the hormones progesterone and estrogens, which are supposed to support and monitor the proper development of pregnancy. After fertilization, the production of more follicles in the ovaries also stops. This lasts until the 9-10th week of pregnancy, i.e. the moment when the gestational placenta takes over the function of the gestational yellow body. Then the gestational corpus luteum disappears and becomes whitish after delivery.
Graaf’s bubble will not burst
During the menstrual cycle, there are also situations where the Graaf follicle does not rupture and therefore will not release an egg. Then there is also no evolution, that is, no fertilization. There can be such anovulatory cycles, if they rarely happen, nothing bad happens. If, on the other hand, the situation in which the Graaf’s follicle does not rupture during each cycle, it may be a sign of infertility. If the Graaf bubble does not rupture, it will grow several times in diameter. It is a persistent follicle that looks like a cyst. This is not a life-threatening situation, because such an overgrown follicle is absorbed, if not in this cycle, then in another cycle. If it does not go away on its own after a few cycles, go for hormone treatment.