Temperature gradients in the mammalian ovary and genital tract: A clinical perspective

In a research climate dominated by advances in molecular biology, the pursuit of straightforward physiological measurements may appear to lack inspiration. Nonetheless, our recent determination of temperatures within female reproductive tissues has produced exciting new findings, raised difficult questions of interpretation, and offered a significant breakthrough in approaches to the selection of oocytes for use in human IVF or fertility preservation programmes. In essence, cooling of the pre-ovulatory follicles and increase of temperature differences within the oviduct shortly before ovulation may well remain as an evolutionary root for the transition between external (aquatic) and internal fertilisation [1].
Source: European Journal of Obstetrics, Gynecology, and Reproductive Biology - Category: OBGYN Authors: Tags: Review article Source Type: research