Compare the Difference Between Similar Terms

Difference Between

Home / Others / Difference Between Oocyte and Follicle

Difference Between Oocyte and Follicle

October 12, 2020 Posted by Dr.Samanthi

The key difference between oocyte and follicle is that oocyte is an immature egg which undergoes meiosis in order to produce a mature egg cell while follicle is a fluid-filled sac that contains an immature egg or oocyte.

Oogenesis is a complicated process that produces female gametes or egg cells. It begins even before the birth of the female baby. Oocytes are the female gametocytes which undergo meiosis to form the ova. They are immature diploid cells found inside the follicles. Follicles are small sacs filled with fluid. Each follicle has the potential to release a mature egg cell for fertilization. Oocytes divide by two meiotic cell divisions in order to form mature egg cells or ova.

CONTENTS

1. Overview and Key Difference
2. What is an Oocyte 
3. What is a Follicle
4. Similarities Between Oocyte and Follicle
5. Side by Side Comparison – Oocyte vs Follicle in Tabular Form
6. Summary

What is an Oocyte?

An oocyte is an immature egg found inside a follicle. It is formed during female gametogenesis. Oocyte undergoes meiosis to produce a mature ovum or egg cell. When an oocyte begins maturation and division, it is known as a primary oocyte. The primary oocyte is then subject to the first meiotic division and produces the secondary oocyte. The secondary oocyte is an immature female gamete produced after the completion of meiosis I. Second phase of meiosis is arrested till secondary oocyte is fertilized with a sperm. Soon after fertilization, secondary oocyte undergoes meiosis II and produces a mature egg cell called the ovum. The ovum nucleus fuses with the sperm nucleus and produces the zygote, which can develop into an individual.

Difference Between Oocyte and Follicle

Figure 01: Oocyte

What is a Follicle?

A follicle is a fluid-filled small sac found in female ovaries. They are roughly spheroid cellular aggregations. Normally, an ovary contains 8 to 10 follicles. They can be 2 mm to 28 mm in size. Follicles contain immature eggs known as oocytes. Follicle nourishes and protects the oocyte.  Each follicle has the potential to release a mature egg cell or ovum for fertilization. In a normal menstrual cycle, one follicle will grow bigger until it ruptures at ovulation to release the egg. This takes place on the 14th day after the beginning of the menstrual cycle. Moreover, follicles secrete hormones which influence stages of the menstrual cycle and release essential reproductive hormones.

Key Difference - Oocyte vs Follicle

Figure 02: Follicle

Follicle size and status are vital information during fertility assessments and treatments. A pelvic ultrasound scan can assess the size and number of follicles present in the ovaries. Egg quality and follicle count are two important factors that affect successful pregnancy. The number of follicles within the ovaries indicates the state of fertility. The egg quality depends on age and lifestyle.

What are the Similarities Between Oocyte and Follicle?

  • Follicle and oocyte are two structures found inside a woman’s ovary.
  • Follicles contain oocytes.
  • One follicle has the potential to release a mature egg or ovum.

What is the Difference Between Oocyte and Follicle?

An oocyte is an immature egg while a follicle is a small fluid-filled sac. So, this is the key difference between oocyte and follicle. Structurally, an oocyte is a diploid cell while a follicle is a cellular aggregation. Thus, it is another difference between oocyte and follicle.

Moreover, a further difference between oocyte and follicle is that the oocyte divides by meiosis to produce egg cells for fertilization while the follicles nourish and protect oocytes, release essential reproductive hormones and transform into the corpus luteum after ovulation.

Difference Between Oocyte and Follicle in Tabular Form

Summary – Oocyte vs Follicle

The oocyte is an immature egg. It is a diploid cell which undergoes meiosis to produce mature eggs. The ovarian follicle is the basic unit of female reproductive biology. It is a fluid-filled sac that contains an oocyte. Follicle grows and gets bigger in order to rupture and release an egg. Thus, this is the summary of the difference between oocyte and follicle.

Reference:

1. “What Are Follicles And Why Are They Important For My Fertility?” London Women’s Clinic, Available here.
2. “Oocyte.” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 12 Apr. 2020, Available here.

Image Courtesy:

1. “Oocyte with Zona pellucida (27771482282)” By ZEISS Microscopy from Germany – Oocyte with Zona pellucida, (CC BY-SA 2.0) via Commons Wikimedia

2. “Graafian Follicle, Human Ovary (3595817584)” By Ed Uthman from Houston, TX, USA – Graafian Follicle, Human OvaryUploaded by CFCF (CC BY 2.0) via Commons Wikimedia

Related posts:

Difference Between Legumes and Lentils Difference Between Online Newspaper and Printed Newspaper Difference Between Toshiba Excite X10 and Toshiba Thrive Difference Between Monogastric and Ruminant Difference Between Emic and EticDifference Between Emic and Etic

Filed Under: Others

About the Author: Dr.Samanthi

Dr.Samanthi Udayangani holds a B.Sc. Degree in Plant Science, M.Sc. in Molecular and Applied Microbiology, and PhD in Applied Microbiology. Her research interests include Bio-fertilizers, Plant-Microbe Interactions, Molecular Microbiology, Soil Fungi, and Fungal Ecology.

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Request Article

Featured Posts

Difference Between Coronavirus and Cold Symptoms

Difference Between Coronavirus and Cold Symptoms

Difference Between Coronavirus and SARS

Difference Between Coronavirus and SARS

Difference Between Coronavirus and Influenza

Difference Between Coronavirus and Influenza

Difference Between Coronavirus and Covid 19

Difference Between Coronavirus and Covid 19

You May Like

Difference Between AC and DC Motor

Difference Between Apical and Radial Pulse

Difference Between Apical and Radial Pulse

Difference Between Limiting Reactant and Excess Reactant

Difference Between Limiting Reactant and Excess Reactant

Difference Between Acetone and Methylated Spirits

Difference Between Acetone and Methylated Spirits

Difference Between Hexagonal Close Packing and Cubic Close Packing

Difference Between Hexagonal Close Packing and Cubic Close Packing

Latest Posts

  • What is the Difference Between Kaolinite and Illite
  • What is the Difference Between Axon Hillock and Initial Segment
  • What is the Difference Between Glycolic Acid and Hyaluronic Acid and Retinol
  • What is the Difference Between Strawberry Legs and Keratosis Pilaris
  • What is the Difference Between Type 1 and Type 2 Alveolar Cells
  • What is the Difference Between Hydrodissection and Hydrodelineation
  • Home
  • Vacancies
  • About
  • Request Article
  • Contact Us

Copyright © 2010-2018 Difference Between. All rights reserved. Terms of Use and Privacy Policy: Legal.