Edited by Alan O. Trounson and Roger G. Gosden. 350 pp., illustrated. New York, Cambridge University Press, 2003. $90. ISBN 0-521-79958-9.
For a long time, we have been taught that the oocyte in adultmammals is virtually inactive, that it essentially remains ina resting state until the periovulatory period. Evidence thathas emerged in recent years paints an entirely different picture.Aside from its contributions to the formation of an embryo,the oocyte is a master regulator of ovarian function. Far fromsimply waiting for ovulation to occur, the oocyte is intimatelyinvolved in the control of fertility. From the organizationof follicles in newly forming ovaries to the orchestration ofa complex pattern of intraovarian development, the oocyte plays. . . [Full Text of this Article]
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