The common egg shell, Ovula ovum, is found in shallow reefs (down to 20 m) throughout the IndoPacific. It belongs to the family Ovulidae and is closely related to the true cowries of the family Cypraeidae (Abbott and Dance 2000). O. ovum are very common in the Marshall Islands especially around Majuro atoll where the local people collect them extensively. The shiny white shells are sold alone o...

This study aimed to investigate the developmental competence of ovum pick-up collected oocytes on three stages of the follicular wave: Days 2, 5 and 8. A group of 11 cows was used in successive cycles to perform ovum pick-up on either Day 2, 5 or 8 of an induced follicular wave (three sessions per stage). Follicular waves were initiated by puncturing the dominant follicle and all other follicle...

BACKGROUND Upper age limits for blood donors are intended to protect elderly blood donors from donor reactions. However, due to a lack of data about adverse reactions in elderly blood donors, upper age limits are arbitrary and vary considerably between different countries. METHODS Here we present data from 171,231 voluntary repeat whole blood donors beyond the age of 68 years. RESULTS Blood...

The macroanatomy, histology, and fine structure of the avian oviduct is reviewed and related to its role in fertile egg production. The avian oviduct functions as a biological assembly line, beginning sequentially with the deposition of the albumen around the fertilized or unfertilized ovum, then the shell membrane, and lastly, the shell, all within 25 hr of ovulation. While in transit through ...

Among internal fertilizers, typically fewer than 1% sperm survive the journey through the oviduct. Several studies suggest that the sperm reaching the ovum-the 'fertilizing set'-comprise a non-random sub-population, but the characteristics of this group remain unclear. We tested whether oviductal selection in birds results in a morphologically distinct subset of sperm, by exploiting the fact th...

De ovi mammalium et hominis genesi (On the Genesis of the Ovum of Mammals and of Men) is an 1827 pamphlet by Karl Ernst von Baer about the anatomical observation and description of the egg [3] (ovum [4]) of mammals, like dogs and humans [5]. The pamphlet detailed evidence for the existence of the ovum [4] at the beginning of the developmental process in mammals. Prior to von Baer's publication,...

Premature ovarian failure (POF) is a primary ovarian defect characterized by absent menarche (primary amenorrhea) or premature depletion of ovarian follicles before the age of 40 years (secondary amenorrhea). It is a heterogeneous disorder affecting approximately 1% of women <40 years, 1:10,000 women by age 20 and 1:1,000 women by age 30. The most severe forms present with absent pubertal devel...