Theca interna cells express
receptors
Receptor may refer to:
*Sensory receptor, in physiology, any structure which, on receiving environmental stimuli, produces an informative nerve impulse
*Receptor (biochemistry), in biochemistry, a protein molecule that receives and responds to a n ...
for
luteinizing hormone
Luteinizing hormone (LH, also known as luteinising hormone, lutropin and sometimes lutrophin) is a hormone produced by gonadotropic cells in the anterior pituitary gland. The production of LH is regulated by gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) ...
(LH) to produce
androstenedione, which via a few steps, gives the
granulosa
A granulosa cell or follicular cell is a somatic cell of the sex cord that is closely associated with the developing female gamete (called an oocyte or egg) in the ovary of mammals.
Structure and function
In the primordial ovarian follicle, a ...
the precursor for
estrogen
Estrogen or oestrogen is a category of sex hormone responsible for the development and regulation of the female reproductive system and secondary sex characteristics. There are three major endogenous estrogens that have estrogenic hormonal acti ...
manufacturing.
After rupture of the mature
ovarian follicle
An ovarian follicle is a roughly spheroid cellular aggregation set found in the ovaries. It secretes hormones that influence stages of the menstrual cycle. At the time of puberty, women have approximately 200,000 to 300,000 follicles, each with th ...
, the theca interna cells differentiate into the
theca lutein cells of the
corpus luteum. Theca lutein cells secrete
androgen
An androgen (from Greek ''andr-'', the stem of the word meaning "man") is any natural or synthetic steroid hormone that regulates the development and maintenance of male characteristics in vertebrates by binding to androgen receptors. This inc ...
s
[ and ]progesterone
Progesterone (P4) is an endogenous steroid and progestogen sex hormone involved in the menstrual cycle, pregnancy, and embryogenesis of humans and other species. It belongs to a group of steroid hormones called the progestogens and is the m ...
. Theca lutein cells are also known as small luteal cells.[The IUPS Physiome Project --> Female Reproductive System - Cells]
Retrieved on Nov 9, 2009
See also
* theca folliculi
The theca folliculi comprise a layer of the ovarian follicles. They appear as the follicles become secondary follicles.
The theca are divided into two layers, the theca interna and the theca externa.
Theca cells are a group of endocrine cells ...
References
External links
*
* - "Mammal, canine ovary (LM, High)"
* - "Mammal, bovine ovary (LM, Medium)"
* - interna
*
Slide at trinity.edu
Mammal female reproductive system
Steroid hormone secreting cells
Human female endocrine system
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