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corpus luteum
- the yellow endocrine body, at least 1–1.5 cm in diameter, formed in the ovary at the site of a ruptured ovarian follicle immediately after ovulation; there is an early stage of proliferation and vascularization before full maturity; later, there is a festooned, bright-yellowish lutein zone traversed by trabeculae of theca interna containing numerous blood vessels; the corpus luteum secretes estrogen, as the follicle did, and also secretes progesterone. If pregnancy does not occur, the body is called a corpus luteum spurium (corpus luteum of menstruation), which undergoes progressive retrogression to a corpus albicans. If pregnancy does occur, the body is called a corpus luteum verum (corpus luteum of pregnancy), which increases in size, persisting to the fifth or sixth month of pregnancy before retrogression.
Syn: yellow body
WebMD Medical Reference from "Stedman's Medical Dictionary"
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Stedman’s Medical Dictionary 28th Edition, Copyright© 2006_Lippincott Williams & Wilkins. All rights reserved.
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