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Ovarian Follicle Depletion

Meaning

Ovarian Follicle Depletion is the irreversible, continuous, and genetically predetermined reduction in the total number of primordial and developing ovarian follicles, which are the fundamental functional and endocrine units of the female reproductive system. This progressive biological process is the core physiological event that drives the transition into menopause, occurring when the residual reserve of oocytes and their surrounding cells falls below a critical threshold. The individual rate of this depletion dictates the timing of reproductive senescence and is influenced by a combination of genetic and environmental factors.