+34 934 176 916info@bcnivf.com
en
de es fr it
  • Treatments
    • Assisted reproduction
    • Artificial insemination
    • In Vitro fertilisation
    • Egg donation
    • Embryo donation
    • Reciprocal IVF
    • Laboratory
    • ICSI and IMSI for fertilisation
    • Blastocyst culture
    • Embryoscope
    • Preimplantation genetic diagnosis
    • Sperm donor
    • Fertility preservation
    • Egg vitrification
    • Diagnosis
    • Basic sterility evaluation
    • Miscarriages and implantation failures
    • Male factor
    • Ovarian reserve
    • A type of treatment for each type of family
    • A mom
    • Mom and Dad
    • Two moms
    • Medication tutorials
    • Pricing
  • Barcelona IVF
    • Your assisted reproduction clinic
    • Why Barcelona IVF?
    • Facilities
    • Mission and vision of Barcelona IVF
    • Work with us
  • FAQs
    • Assisted reproduction
    • Infertility
    • Artificial insemination
    • Medical tests
    • In Vitro fertilisation
    • Pregnancy
    • Certifications
  • Do you want to become an egg donor?
  • Blog
  • Where we are
  • Contact us
  • Private area
  • Home
  • Blog
  • Health and fertility
  • Is an ovarian follicle the same as an egg?

Is an ovarian follicle the same as an egg?

Is an ovarian follicle the same as an egg?
share

A follicle is a small spherical structure inside the ovary where the egg matures. A follicle is filled with fluid, the follicular fluid, which is seen on an ultrasound scan of the ovary.

Follicular phase and ovulation

Each month, a variable number of follicles begin their growth in the ovary. In a natural menstrual cycle, only one follicle, the dominant one, will continue to grow and fill with follicular fluid, while the egg inside finishes maturing. Halfway through the cycle, after these two weeks of the so-called follicular phase of the cycle, the mature oocyte will rupture the follicle and be released into the fallopian tubes to be fertilized. This is ovulation. The rest of the follicles that began their growth but did not continue, will degenerate.

Ovarian stimulation 

In an assisted reproduction cycle, this variable number of follicles, called antral follicles, will not stop growing. The hormones administered allow not just one dominant follicle, but all the follicles "recruited" at the beginning of the cycle to continue to grow and the eggs within them to mature. Follicles grow at an average rate of 2mm per day. Follicle size is important because it tells us that the egg inside the follicle has probably reached maturity. When one or more follicles are 18mm in size, follicular puncture is usually performed to obtain the eggs.

Ovarian hyperstimulation

Ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome is a serious complication due to an exaggerated response of the ovary to hormonal stimulation in assisted reproduction treatment. Nowadays, changes in the stimulation protocol and the freezing of embryos make it possible to avoid the syndrome in patients who could be susceptible to it, generally young patients with a high ovarian reserve.

Ovarian reserve

The ovarian reserve is the number of antral follicles that can be counted on ultrasound at the beginning of the cycle. Women are born with hundreds of thousands of follicles, which are lost over the years. At the beginning of puberty, only a small number of the follicles that were in the ovary at birth remain. From the first menstruation onwards and with each subsequent cycle, the ovary will recruit a small group of follicles, only one of which will contain the oocyte that will mature and ovulate. After a few decades, after reaching a certain age, a woman's ovarian reserve will have been depleted, there will no longer be as many follicles to recruit and they will be of increasingly poorer quality. This decline in ovarian reserve is the cause of age-related female infertility. 

share
2 Comments
Leave a Reply
We receive many queries and it is not possible for us to provide a personal response to all comments. We will try to answer as soon as possible. In the meantime, we invite you to check our FAQ in case they can help you.
* This is a required field
Categories
  • All categories
  • Assisted reproduction
  • Barcelona IVF
  • General
  • Health and fertility
Most read
  • Genetic testing and assisted reproduction
  • Why do implantation failures happen?
  • Infertility treatments: what to expect or not to expect in the 2 ww.
  • How to calculate the date of delivery after an IVF?
  • IVF with egg donation from 3850 euros
  • Why should we vitrify our oocytes?
  • Blocked Fallopian Tubes, Is there any solution?
  • Hygiene after delivery
  • Egg donation: Getting the lining ready for the embryo transfer
  • Do official bodies still advise vaccination against COVID-19 during pregnancy?
Shall we call you?
Book a consultation
Barcelona IVF

Planetarium Building
Escoles Pies, 103. 08017 Barcelona, Spain

+34 934 176 916 | info@bcnivf.com

Barcelona IVF is a Healthcare Centre approved by the Generalitat of Catalonia and authorized to operate as a Human Assisted Reproduction Centre with code no. E08050604

  • Premio a la calidad Sistema Nacional de Salud 2022-2023
  • TUVRHeinland ISO 9001:2015
  • TUVRHeinland UNE 179007:2013
  • WIS - Web d’interés sanitari
  • Ministeri de sanitat serveis socials i igualtat
  • UAB - Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona
Work with us
  • Legal notice
  • Cookies policy
  • Privacy policy