GRAAFIAN FOLLICLE

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

 Dictionary entry overview: What does Graafian follicle mean? 

• GRAAFIAN FOLLICLE (noun)
  The noun GRAAFIAN FOLLICLE has 1 sense:

1. a vascular body in a mammalian ovary enclosing a developing egg

  Familiarity information: GRAAFIAN FOLLICLE used as a noun is very rare.

 Dictionary entry details 

• GRAAFIAN FOLLICLE (noun)

Sense 1

Meaning:

A vascular body in a mammalian ovary enclosing a developing egg

Classified under:

Nouns denoting body parts

Hypernyms ("Graafian follicle" is a kind of...):

follicle (any small spherical group of cells containing a cavity)

Meronyms (parts of "Graafian follicle"):

corpus luteum (yellow endocrine tissue that forms in a ruptured Graafian follicle following the release of an ovum; it degenerates after a few days unless pregnancy has begun)

Holonyms ("Graafian follicle" is a part of...):

ovary ((vertebrates) one of usually two organs that produce ova and secrete estrogen and progesterone)

 Context examples 

A group of cells that remain of the Graafian follicle following ovulation.

(Corpus Luteum, NCI Thesaurus)

The continued growth of the ovarian granulosa cells takes the oocyte to the Graafian follicle stage.

(Ovarian Granulosa Cell, NCI Thesaurus)

The cells of the corpus luteum which are derived from the granulosa cells and the theca cells of the Graafian follicle.

(Lutein Cell, NLM, Medical Subject Headings)