Scientists finally decode how the ovary’s egg-production capacity changes with age

Scientists say findings may help explain cases of premature infertility in humans

Scientists have decoded the biological mechanisms in mice governing the ovary’s capacity to provide eggs, and how it changes with age in a new study. The advance sheds new light on female reproductive health and lifespan.

Fertility is finite in mammalian females, who possess a limited number of fluid-filled sacs, or follicles, in the ovary.

Since birth, as these eventually develop eggs, the “ovarian reserve” decreases with age.