Question

Atretic follicles are found in the
a. Fallopian tubes
b. Uterus
c. Labia majora
d. Ovary

Answer 1

Hint: Atretic follicles if breakdown which consists of oocyte and with surrounding granular cells, and internal and external theca cells are called follicular atresia. It generally occurs in women continuously throughout the women’s life.

Complete answer:
- The females are born with millions of the follicles, which are formed from the ovary, still, they can ovulate only 400 times in her lifetime.
- Among all the follicles 20 mature each month and only a single follicle is ovulated.
- The follicle from which the oocyte was released becomes the corpus luteum, where the rest undergo follicular atresia.
- So atresia is nothing but a hormonally controlled apoptotic process and in this process, they mainly target the granulosa cells.
- Follicular atresia is normally inhibited by the follicle-stimulating hormone, which promotes follicle development.
- If FSH increases, the follicle develops and releases the estrogen as the level of estrogen increases, it decreases the FSH.
- The main underlying mechanism of the follicular atresia is granular apoptosis.
- Some receptor systems involved in this apoptosis are tumor necrosing alpha factors, where they activate and express the abnormal follicle development, so the greater the number of secondary follicles, the more they result in apoptosis..
- So these factors go and attach to certain ligands and provide the signals for the following mechanism.

Hence, the correct answer is option (D).

Note: For the women to maintain a healthy reproductive system, follicular atresia is important, and the inability to regulate the granulosa cell apoptosis and undergoing follicular atresia has been linked to the development of some hormone-related cancers or chemoresistance.