title: Biological bases of premature ovarian failure.
abstract: The ovary is endowed at birth with a fixed number of primordial follicles, which steadily dwindles throughout life as a result of atresia and recruitment towards ovulation. In addition to age, the number varies allometrically between species, larger and longer-lived animals tending to have more follicles initially and these disappear at a slower rate. A causal relationship between follicle depletion and menopause clearly exists, and there is a gradual acceleration of follicle wastage in the human ovary beginning more than a decade before the end of menstrual life. A mathematical model has provided confirmatory evidence of this relationship, and indicates that menopause is triggered by a threshold number of follicles which varies stochastically with a mean of 1100.
authors.affiliation: Centre for Reproduction, Growth and Development, Division of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, University of Leeds, UK. obgrg@leeds.ac.uk
authors.forename: R G
authors.initials: RG
authors.lastname: Gosden
authors.forename: M J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Faddy
mesh_terms: D000367:Age Factors; D000375:Aging / Q000502:physiology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008593:Menopause / Q000502:physiology; D006080:Ovarian Follicle / Q000502:physiology; D016649:Primary Ovarian Insufficiency / Q000503:physiopathology*