Ovary Mapping Study – Our Brains In Our Ovaries (Not Our Balls…)
- Feb 26
- 1 min read
Did you know that there is brain-type tissue in ovaries? This great article by OBGYN Dr Marie Claire explains how researchers have mapped the ovary and what they actually found.
“We’ve long believed that declining fertility was all about the egg, fewer eggs, older eggs, lower quality. But new research out of UCSF and the Chan Zuckerberg Biohub reveals something far more complex: the ovary is an entire ecosystem, and as we age, its environment and not just its eggs changes dramatically.
Using new 3D imaging, researchers mapped the ovary in unprecedented detail and found something extraordinary: a dense network of sympathetic nerves, the same nerves responsible for the body’s “fight-or-flight” response, winding through ovarian tissue.
As the ovary ages, this network becomes even more pronounced. The older the ovary, the more “wired” it becomes. These sympathetic nerves don’t just sit there. They influence when eggs start to mature, when they stop, and how fast the entire system burns out.
It means the ovary isn’t just a passive organ quietly releasing eggs. It’s a highly connected, highly reactive part of the body’s nervous system and one that literally feels stress.With age, these nerves grow denser, inflammation increases, and connective tissue stiffens — creating an environment that’s more reactive and less regenerative. The ovary becomes hypersensitive to signals of stress, which may help explain why fertility declines and menopause arrives when it does.
Visit the link here and follow Dr Marie Claire for more awesome female health content:
Comments