Quick Facts
The ovarian cortex is the dense layer of compact stroma in which the ovarian follicles are embedded, forming the peripheral zone around the medulla of the ovary (Dorland, 2011).
Structure and/or Key Feature(s)
The ovarian cortex is located in the peripheral region of the ovary and surrounds the ovarian medulla. Embedded within the richly cellular connective tissue of the cortex are the follicles, which are surrounded by smooth muscle fibers (Ross and Pawlina, 2006). The follicles may be small, medium, and large, with each size represents a stage of development. They produce both the female gametes (a haploid ovum = egg) and female sex hormones (Ross and Pawlina, 2006; Mescher, 2013).
Anatomical Relations
The ovarian cortex is located deep to the tunica albuginea and superficial to the ovarian medulla.
Function
Follicles within the ovarian cortex produce both the female gametes (a haploid ovum = egg) and female sex hormones.
References
Dorland, W. (2011) Dorland's Illustrated Medical Dictionary. 32nd edn. Philadelphia, USA: Elsevier Saunders.
Mescher, A. (2013) Junqueira's Basic Histology: Text and Atlas. 13th edn.: McGraw-Hill Education.
Ross, M. H. and Pawlina, W. (2006) Histology: A text and atlas. Lippincott Williams & Wilkins.
