Oocyte Maturation A story of arrest and release

Abstract excerpt

The release of a mature healthy egg for fertilization is the center of the entire reproductive process. From the time of embryonic development till fertilization, the oocyte undergoes several stop-and-go periods. In most animals, oocytes are held in meiotic arrest in prophase I prior to ovulation. The ovulatory luteinizing hormone (LH) surge promotes the resumption of meiosis of the arrested oocytes and their...