Abstract
Infertility is a major issue in both human and animal medicine with a great economic impact on reproduction. In order to better understand the common causes of infertility it is necessary to understand the basic physiology underlying the complex process of folliculogenesis and luteogenesis (Campbell et al., 2003).The lack of extensive understanding of the factors involved in regulating follicular and oocyte maturation has resulted in the slow process of developing in vitro systems for the study of folliculogenesis (Campbell et al., 2004). However, domestic ruminants represent a valuable in vivo model system for the study of the endocrine and local mechanisms regulating follicular development not only in ruminants but also in humans (Campbell et al., 2003) and have thus been extensively used in reproduction research.
Improved understanding of the basic cellular mechanisms of ovarian physiology may improve biotechnology strategies in livestock reproduction and enhance fertility protocols for endangered species. Similarly, a better understanding of these reproductive processes could lead to innovative strategies to improve reproductive health in women.
| Date of Award | 14 Oct 2009 |
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| Original language | English |
| Awarding Institution |
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| Supervisor | William Haresign (Supervisor), Mina Davies Morel (Supervisor) & M. Khalid (Supervisor) |