Germinal epithelium (female)
The surface of the ovary is covered by a layer of simple cuboidal cells which constitutes the germinal epithelium of Waldeyer.[1]
These cells are derived from the mesoderm during embryonic development and are closely related to the mesothelium of the peritoneum. The germinal epithelium gives the ovary a dull gray color as compared with the shining smoothness of the peritoneum; and the transition between the mesothelium of the peritoneum and the columnar cells which cover the ovary is usually marked by a line around the anterior border of the ovary.
The germinal epithelium is a misnomer and does not give rise to primary follicles. It is known to give rise to ovarian tumors.
[edit] References
- ^ Nishida T, Nishida N (2006). "Reinstatement of "germinal epithelium" of the ovary". Reprod Biol Endocrinol. 4: 42. doi:10.1186/1477-7827-4-42. PMC 1560142. PMID 16923182. http://www.pubmedcentral.nih.gov/articlerender.fcgi?tool=pmcentrez&artid=1560142.
[edit] External links
This article was originally based on an entry from a public domain edition of Gray's Anatomy. As such, some of the information contained within it may be outdated.
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