The image shows an egg that has just been ovulated next to the follicle. © Christopher Thomas, Tabea Lilian Marx et al. / Max Planck Institute for Multidisciplinary Sciences

Ovulation filmed from start to finish for the first time

Approximately 400 times in a woman’s life, a mature egg makes the “leap.” It is released into the fallopian tube, ready for fertilization by the sperm. Researchers led by Melina Schuh, Christopher Thomas, and Tabea Lilian Marx from the Max Planck Institute (MPI) for Multidisciplinary Sciences have now succeeded in visualizing the entire process of ovulation in mouse follicles in real-time. The new live imaging method developed by the team allows for the process to be studied with high spatial and temporal resolution, contributing to new insights in fertility research.

 
Link to the press release