Editing Ovary (section)

==Structure==
Each ovary is whitish in color and located alongside the lateral wall of the [[uterus]] in a region called the [[ovarian fossa]]. The ovarian fossa is the region that is bounded by the [[external iliac artery]] and in front of the [[ureter]] and the [[internal iliac artery]]. This area is about 4&nbsp;cm x 3&nbsp;cm x 2&nbsp;cm in size.<ref name=":0">Daftary, Shirish; Chakravarti, Sudip (2011). Manual of Obstetrics, 3rd Edition. Elsevier. pp. 1-16. {{ISBN|9788131225561}}.</ref><ref name=":1" />

The ovaries are surrounded by a capsule, and have an outer cortex and an inner medulla.<ref name=":1" /> The capsule is of dense connective tissue and is known as the [[tunica albuginea (ovaries)|tunica albuginea]].<ref name="Seer">{{cite web |url=https://training.seer.cancer.gov/anatomy/reproductive/female/ovaries.html|title=Ovaries|access-date=12 December 2019}}</ref>

Usually, ovulation occurs in one of the two ovaries releasing an egg each [[menstrual cycle]].

The side of the ovary closest to the [[fallopian tube]] is connected to it by [[infundibulopelvic ligament]],<ref name=":0" /> and the other side points downwards attached to the uterus via the [[ovarian ligament]].

Other structures and tissues of the ovaries include the [[hilum (anatomy)|hilum]].

===Ligaments===
The ovaries lie within the peritoneal cavity, on either side of the uterus, to which they are attached via a fibrous cord called the [[ovarian ligament]]. The ovaries are uncovered in the [[peritoneal cavity]] but are tethered to the body wall via the [[suspensory ligament of the ovary]], which is a posterior extension of the broad ligament of the uterus. The part of the [[broad ligament of the uterus]] that covers the ovary is known as the [[mesovarium]].<ref name=":1">{{Cite book|title=Williams gynecology|date=2012|publisher=McGraw-Hill Medical|others=Hoffman, Barbara L., Williams, J. Whitridge (John Whitridge), 1866-1931.|isbn=9780071716727|edition=2nd|location=New York|oclc=779244257}}</ref>

The ovarian pedicle is made up part of the [[fallopian tube]], [[mesovarium]], ovarian ligament, and ovarian blood vessels.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Baskett |first1=Thomas F. |last2=Calder |first2=Andrew A. |last3=Arulkumaran |first3=Sabaratnam |title=Munro Kerr's Operative Obstetrics E-Book |date=2014 |publisher=Elsevier Health Sciences |isbn=9780702052484 |page=268 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=OiHQAgAAQBAJ&pg=PA268 |language=en}}</ref>

===Microanatomy===
The surface of the ovaries is covered with a membrane consisting of [[Epithelium|a lining of]] [[Simple cuboidal epithelium|simple cuboidal]]-to-columnar shaped [[mesothelium]],<ref name=":3">{{Cite web|url=http://www.siumed.edu/~dking2/erg/ovary.htm|title=Southern Illinois University School of Medicine|website=www.siumed.edu|access-date=2017-11-20}}</ref> called the [[germinal epithelium (female)|germinal epithelium]].

[[File:Ovarian cortex in a rhesus monkey.jpg|thumb|[[Micrograph]] of the ovarian cortex from a rhesus monkey showing several round follicles embedded in a matrix of stromal cells. A secondary follicle sectioned through the nucleus of an oocyte is at the upper left, and earlier stage follicles are at the lower right. The tissue was stained with the dyes [[hematoxylin]] and [[eosin]].]]The outer layer is the [[ovarian cortex]], consisting of [[ovarian follicles]] and [[stroma of ovary|stroma]] in between them. Included in the follicles are the [[cumulus oophorus]], [[membrana granulosa]] (and the [[granulosa cells]] inside it), [[corona radiata (embryology)|corona radiata]], [[zona pellucida]], and [[primary oocyte]]. [[Theca of follicle]], [[Follicular antrum|antrum]] and [[liquor folliculi]] are also contained in the follicle. Also in the cortex is the [[corpus luteum]] derived from the follicles. The innermost layer is the [[ovarian medulla]].<ref name=":2">{{Cite web|url=http://xiphoid.biostr.washington.edu/fma/fmabrowser-hierarchy.html?fmaid=7209|title=Foundational Model of Anatomy|website=xiphoid.biostr.washington.edu|publisher=Structural Informatics Group at the University of Washington.|access-date=2017-11-20|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160530124804/http://xiphoid.biostr.washington.edu/fma/fmabrowser-hierarchy.html?fmaid=7209|archive-date=2016-05-30|url-status=dead}}</ref> It can be hard to distinguish between the cortex and medulla, but follicles are usually not found in the medulla.

[[Ovarian follicle|Follicular cells]] are flat epithelial cells that originate from surface epithelium covering the ovary. They are surrounded by [[granulosa cell]]s that have changed from flat to cuboidal and proliferated to produce a stratified epithelium.

The ovary also contains [[blood vessel]]s and [[lymphatics]].<ref>{{Cite journal | last1 = Brown | first1 = H. M. | last2 = Russell | first2 = D. L. | doi = 10.1093/humupd/dmt049 | title = Blood and lymphatic vasculature in the ovary: Development, function and disease | journal = Human Reproduction Update | volume = 20 | issue = 1 | pages = 29–39 | year = 2013 | pmid =  24097804| doi-access = free }}</ref>