Morphology and morphometry of ovarian follicles of the adult bactrian camel (Camelus bactrianus)

Ovarian follicles in the adult bactrian camel were investigated qualitatively and quantitatively with the light microscope. Usually, the primordial and primary follicles distributed singly in the superficial part of the cortex, while near the tunica albuginea, they are mostly distributed in groups. The atresia of primordial and primary follicles may have some differences. The atresia of growing follicles could be divided into 2 stages; and that of Graafian follicles could be divided into 3 stages. The average total number of primordial and primary follicles in 4-year-old camels, 6-year-old camels and 7 to 10-year-old camels were 35600 +/- 3500, 29062 +/- 2700 and 18300 +/- 1100, respectively; those of growing follicles were 250 +/- 76,835 +/- 95 and 637 +/- 142; those of Graafian follicles were 38.7 +/- 12.3, 35.8 +/- 9.8 and 40.5 +/- 14.5. The respective percentages of the atretic primordial and primary follicles in 4-year-old camels, 6-year-old camels and 7 to 10-year-old camels were 52.7, 56.6 and 46.8%, respectively. The atretic growing follicles in 4-year-old camels, 6-year-old camels and 7 to 10-year-old camels were 109.5 +/- 21.5, 505.5 +/- 74.3 and 478.3 +/- 78.5, respectively; those of atretic Graafian follicles were 20.1 +/- 5.6, 19.2 +/- 7.6 and 24.3 +/- 6.7.