The graphics and photomicrographs in this video clip provide a deeper understanding of the development of the human ovum, or egg. As the text explains, the female ovaries have two major functions: the production of hormones that control the menstrual cycle, and the ripening of an ovum each month for possible reproduction. Keep in mind that the production of a ripened ovum, and the preparation of the uterus to accept a fertilized egg, is a complex process involving the interaction of several different hormones and organs.

Please watch the following video clip and answer the corresponding follow-up questions.

The Ovaries

1			What is meant when the narrator says that the ovum, which ripens, may have been in the ovary for many years?
2			According to your text, what does recent research say about the oocytes that eventually become eggs? Were they necessarily present in the ovary from the time of the woman’s birth?