Gilbert A B, Perry M M, Waddington D, Hardie M A
J Reprod Fertil. 1983 Sep;69(1):221-7. doi: 10.1530/jrf.0.0690221.
At peak laying periods the ovary of the domestic hen contained 30-100 small yolky follicles with diameters varying between 1 and 8 mm. In general, the number of these healthy follicles decreased with increasing size in that there were about 20 follicles with a diameter of 1-2 mm and 1 follicle (mean less than 1) with a diameter of 7-8 mm. The number of follicles with diameters greater than 8 mm (the hierarchy of large, yolky follicles) varied between 4 and 7. By using a dye-marker, growth from 3 to 5 mm was estimated to take 3 days, from 5 to 8 mm, 2 days and from 8 mm to ovulation, 6 days. No information was obtained for growth between 1 and 3 mm because the dye did not enter these smaller follicles. Between 5 and 25 small yolky follicles were atretic. The reduction in the number of follicles with time and the high incidence of atresia suggests that this is a normal fate of small yolky follicles in birds with a high rate of lay. In marked contrast, only one large yolky follicle was observed to be atretic throughout the whole experiment. These two very different levels of atresia serve to define two distinct groups of follicles in the size range studied. Ovulation rate appears to be the product of two complementary mechanisms, one for the initiation of growth and the other controlling the rate at which the small yolky follicles are lost through atresia.
在产蛋高峰期，家鸡的卵巢中有30 - 100个小的含卵黄卵泡，直径在1至8毫米之间变化。一般来说，这些健康卵泡的数量随着尺寸的增加而减少，即直径为1 - 2毫米的卵泡约有20个，直径为7 - 8毫米的卵泡有1个（平均少于1个）。直径大于8毫米的卵泡（大的含卵黄卵泡等级）数量在4至7个之间变化。通过使用染料标记物，估计卵泡从3毫米生长到5毫米需要3天，从5毫米生长到8毫米需要2天，从8毫米生长到排卵需要6天。由于染料没有进入这些较小的卵泡，所以未获得1至3毫米之间生长的信息。5至25个小含卵黄卵泡发生闭锁。卵泡数量随时间减少以及闭锁的高发生率表明，这是高产蛋率鸟类中小含卵黄卵泡的正常命运。与之形成显著对比的是，在整个实验过程中仅观察到1个大的含卵黄卵泡发生闭锁。这两种截然不同的闭锁水平用于界定所研究尺寸范围内的两类不同卵泡。排卵率似乎是两种互补机制的产物，一种用于启动生长，另一种控制小含卵黄卵泡通过闭锁而消失的速率。
