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FUNCTIONAL AND STRUCTURAL RELATIONSHIPS IN THE GRAAFIAN FOLLICLE POPULATION OF THE SHEEP OVARY

Agricultural Research Council Unit of Reproductive Physiology and Biochemistry, University of Cambridge

INTRODUCTION: The Graafian follicle population in sheep can be divided into two groups on the basis of the capacity that individual follicles have for secreting oestrogen when isolated from the remainder of the ovary (Moor, 1973). The most developed one or two non-atretic follicles from each animal generally produce large amounts of oestrogen in culture and can thus be classified as steroidogenically 'activated' The other follicles usually produce very little oestrogen in culture and are accordingly classified as 'non-activated'

In this paper the above classification will be used and the two groups of follicles will be considered separately. In the first section of the paper the response of the non-activated follicles to gonadotrophic stimuli will be described and related to growth and atresia within this population. The steroidogenic potential of the activated follicles at different stages of the