Do Ovaries Continue to Produce Eggs During Adulthood?

A compelling new genetic study tracing the origins of immature egg cells, or ‘oocytes’, from the embryonic period throughout adulthood adds new information to a growing controversy. The notion of a “biological clock” in women arises from the fact that oocytes progressively decline in number as females get older, along with a decades-old dogmatic view that oocytes cannot be renewed in mammals after birth.

After careful assessment of data from a recent study published in PLoS Genetics, scientists from Massachusetts General Hospital and the University of Edinburgh argue that the findings support formation of new eggs during adult life; a topic that has been historically controversial and has sparked considerable debate in recent years.