Fig. 3

Identification of Growing/Intact and Non-Growing/Atretic follicles. (a) Using the scheme summarized in Fig. 2, follicles in each developmental category in (n=3 ovaries) were evaluated in terms of the ratio of pyknotic to mitotic figures, and expressed as GC population “Increasing” (black bars) or “Not Increasing” (white bars). Panel b shows the ratio of pyknotic to mitotic GC in antral follicles after dividing into those that were subjectively “round” by eye (n=34, example in upper right photomicrograph) and those that were misshapen (n=35, example in lower right photomicrograph) in the center section containing the oocyte nucleus. Median ratios are indicated with red lines. Ratios were found to be significantly different between round and misshapen antral follicles by Student’s t-test, P <2.2e ⁻¹⁶