Menopause and female fertility loss
PhysiologicalGender
Male
Data Availability
Period at which this change occurs is not accurately known
Tissues
-
female reproductive system
Changes
⇩
-
Anatomical System
-
anatomical site
- head and neck
-
thorax
- thoracic wall
- abdomen
- pelvis
- perineum
- upper limb
- lower limb
- whole body
- adipose tissue
- mucosa
- spine
-
cardiovascular system
-
heart
- atrium
-
ventricle
- left ventricle
- endocardium
- myocardium
- pericardium
- cardiac valve
- cardiac conducting system
-
artery
- aorta
- arterial intima
- arterial media
- arterial adventitia
- carotid artery
- coronary artery
-
vein
- venous intima
- venous media
- venous adventitia
- capillary
-
heart
-
respiratory system
- nose
- sinus
- larynx
- trachea
- bronchus
-
lung
- alveolus
- pleura
- diaphragm
-
hematological system
-
bone marrow
- hematopoietic stem cells
- mesenchymal stem cell
-
blood
- plasma
- myeloid progenitor cell
-
bone marrow
-
lymphoreticular system
- lymph
- lymph node
- tonsil
- spleen
-
alimentary system
-
oral cavity
- tongue
- salivary gland
- tooth
- gum
-
pharynx
- nasopharynx
- oropharynx
- hypopharynx
- oesophagus
-
stomach
- gastric mucosa
-
intestine
-
small intestine
- duodenum
- jejunum
- ileum
- vermiform appendix
-
large intestine
-
colorectal
-
colon
- appendix
- rectum
-
colon
- anus
- cecum
-
colorectal
-
small intestine
- mesentery
- omentum
- peritoneum
-
liver and biliary system
- liver
- gall bladder
- bile duct
-
pancreas
- exocrine pancreas
-
oral cavity
-
urogenital system
-
urinary system
-
kidney
-
nephron
-
renal corpuscle
- glomerus
-
renal tubule
- renal proximal convoluted tubule
- renal distal convoluted tubule
- loop of Henle
- renal collecting duct
-
renal corpuscle
- renal vasculature
- glomerulus
-
nephron
- ureter
- bladder
- urethra
-
kidney
-
reproductive system
-
male reproductive system
-
testis
- seminiferous tubule
- epididymis
- prostate
- vas deferens
-
penis
- glans
- foreskin
-
testis
-
female reproductive system
- ovary
- uterine tube
-
uterus
- cervix
- endometrium
- myometrium
- vagina
- vulva
-
breast
- mammary gland
-
male reproductive system
-
urinary system
-
endocrine system
-
endocrine pancreas
- islets of Langerhans
- pineal gland
- pituitary gland
- thyroid
- parathyroid
-
adrenal gland
- adrenal cortex
- adrenal medulla
-
endocrine pancreas
-
musculoskeletal system
-
bone
- ulna
- femur
- cartilage
-
joint
- synovium
- ligament
- meniscus
-
muscle
- skeletal muscle
- smooth muscle
- tendon
- fascia
-
bone
-
integument system
-
skin
- epidermis
- dermis
-
appendages
- hair follicle
- hair
- nail bed
- nail
- sweat gland
- sebaceous gland
- subcutaneous
-
skin
-
nervous system
-
central nervous system
-
brain
-
cerebrum
-
cerebral cortex
-
frontal lobe
- prefrontal cortex
- parietal lobe
- temporal lobe
- occipital lobe
- visual
- insula
- olfactory bulb
- anterior olfactory nucleus
- lateral olfactory stria
- medial olfactory stria
- olfactory tubercle
- primary olfactory cortex
- secondary olfactory cortex
- hippocampus
- parahippocampal gyrus
-
frontal lobe
- basal nuclei
-
cerebral cortex
-
hypothalamus
- preoptic nucleus
- supraoptic nucleus
- suprachiasmatic nucleus
- paraventricular nucleus
- infundibular nucleus
- anterior nucleus
- dorsomedial nucleus
- ventromedial nucleus
- lateral nucleus
- posterior nucleus
- premamillary nucleus
- tuberomamillary nucleus
- medial mamillary nucleus
- lateral mamillary nucleus
- lateral tuberal nucleus
-
brain stem
-
midbrain
- crus cerebri
- colliculi
- substantia nigra
- red nucleus
- periaqueductal grey matter
- oculomotor nucleus
- trochlear nucleus
- mesencephalic trigeminal nucleus
-
pons
- vestibular nuclei
- cochlear nuclei
- superior olivary nucleus
- trapezoid nucleus
- nucleus of the lateral lemniscus
- abducent nucleus
- facial nucleus
- salivatory nuclei
- trigeminal nucleus
-
midbrain
-
cerebellum
- cerebellum cortex
- cerebellum nuclei
-
tract
- corpus callosum
- ventricular system
- cerebrospinal fluid
- meninges
- white matter
- grey matter
- blood brain barrier
-
cerebrum
- spinal cord
-
brain
-
peripheral nervous system
-
visual apparatus
- globe
- eyelid
- lacrimal gland
- conjunctiva
- cornea
- sclera
- lens
- vitreous humor
- iris
- ciliary body
- choroid
- retina
- optic nerve
- trabecular meshwork
-
auditory apparatus
- external ear
- middle ear
- tympanum
- auditory tube
- auditory ossicle
-
internal ear
-
osseous labyrinth
-
cochlea
- spiral organ of Corti
- semicircular canal
- vestibule
-
cochlea
- membranous labyrinth
-
osseous labyrinth
- olfactory apparatus
- peripheral nerve
- ganglion
- sympathetic chain
-
visual apparatus
-
central nervous system
-
immune system
-
thymus
- T cell progenitor
- lymphocytes
- B cell
- memory B cell
- T cell
- T regulatory cell
- stromal cell
- naïve T cell
- neutrophil
- macrophage
- natural killer cell
- dendritic cell
- leukocyte
-
thymus
-
anatomical site
-
Anatomical System
-
endocrine system
Changes
⇩
-
Anatomical System
-
anatomical site
- head and neck
-
thorax
- thoracic wall
- abdomen
- pelvis
- perineum
- upper limb
- lower limb
- whole body
- adipose tissue
- mucosa
- spine
-
cardiovascular system
-
heart
- atrium
-
ventricle
- left ventricle
- endocardium
- myocardium
- pericardium
- cardiac valve
- cardiac conducting system
-
artery
- aorta
- arterial intima
- arterial media
- arterial adventitia
- carotid artery
- coronary artery
-
vein
- venous intima
- venous media
- venous adventitia
- capillary
-
heart
-
respiratory system
- nose
- sinus
- larynx
- trachea
- bronchus
-
lung
- alveolus
- pleura
- diaphragm
-
hematological system
-
bone marrow
- hematopoietic stem cells
- mesenchymal stem cell
-
blood
- plasma
- myeloid progenitor cell
-
bone marrow
-
lymphoreticular system
- lymph
- lymph node
- tonsil
- spleen
-
alimentary system
-
oral cavity
- tongue
- salivary gland
- tooth
- gum
-
pharynx
- nasopharynx
- oropharynx
- hypopharynx
- oesophagus
-
stomach
- gastric mucosa
-
intestine
-
small intestine
- duodenum
- jejunum
- ileum
- vermiform appendix
-
large intestine
-
colorectal
-
colon
- appendix
- rectum
-
colon
- anus
- cecum
-
colorectal
-
small intestine
- mesentery
- omentum
- peritoneum
-
liver and biliary system
- liver
- gall bladder
- bile duct
-
pancreas
- exocrine pancreas
-
oral cavity
-
urogenital system
-
urinary system
-
kidney
-
nephron
-
renal corpuscle
- glomerus
-
renal tubule
- renal proximal convoluted tubule
- renal distal convoluted tubule
- loop of Henle
- renal collecting duct
-
renal corpuscle
- renal vasculature
- glomerulus
-
nephron
- ureter
- bladder
- urethra
-
kidney
-
reproductive system
-
male reproductive system
-
testis
- seminiferous tubule
- epididymis
- prostate
- vas deferens
-
penis
- glans
- foreskin
-
testis
-
female reproductive system
- ovary
- uterine tube
-
uterus
- cervix
- endometrium
- myometrium
- vagina
- vulva
-
breast
- mammary gland
-
male reproductive system
-
urinary system
-
endocrine system
-
endocrine pancreas
- islets of Langerhans
- pineal gland
- pituitary gland
- thyroid
- parathyroid
-
adrenal gland
- adrenal cortex
- adrenal medulla
-
endocrine pancreas
-
musculoskeletal system
-
bone
- ulna
- femur
- cartilage
-
joint
- synovium
- ligament
- meniscus
-
muscle
- skeletal muscle
- smooth muscle
- tendon
- fascia
-
bone
-
integument system
-
skin
- epidermis
- dermis
-
appendages
- hair follicle
- hair
- nail bed
- nail
- sweat gland
- sebaceous gland
- subcutaneous
-
skin
-
nervous system
-
central nervous system
-
brain
-
cerebrum
-
cerebral cortex
-
frontal lobe
- prefrontal cortex
- parietal lobe
- temporal lobe
- occipital lobe
- visual
- insula
- olfactory bulb
- anterior olfactory nucleus
- lateral olfactory stria
- medial olfactory stria
- olfactory tubercle
- primary olfactory cortex
- secondary olfactory cortex
- hippocampus
- parahippocampal gyrus
-
frontal lobe
- basal nuclei
-
cerebral cortex
-
hypothalamus
- preoptic nucleus
- supraoptic nucleus
- suprachiasmatic nucleus
- paraventricular nucleus
- infundibular nucleus
- anterior nucleus
- dorsomedial nucleus
- ventromedial nucleus
- lateral nucleus
- posterior nucleus
- premamillary nucleus
- tuberomamillary nucleus
- medial mamillary nucleus
- lateral mamillary nucleus
- lateral tuberal nucleus
-
brain stem
-
midbrain
- crus cerebri
- colliculi
- substantia nigra
- red nucleus
- periaqueductal grey matter
- oculomotor nucleus
- trochlear nucleus
- mesencephalic trigeminal nucleus
-
pons
- vestibular nuclei
- cochlear nuclei
- superior olivary nucleus
- trapezoid nucleus
- nucleus of the lateral lemniscus
- abducent nucleus
- facial nucleus
- salivatory nuclei
- trigeminal nucleus
-
midbrain
-
cerebellum
- cerebellum cortex
- cerebellum nuclei
-
tract
- corpus callosum
- ventricular system
- cerebrospinal fluid
- meninges
- white matter
- grey matter
- blood brain barrier
-
cerebrum
- spinal cord
-
brain
-
peripheral nervous system
-
visual apparatus
- globe
- eyelid
- lacrimal gland
- conjunctiva
- cornea
- sclera
- lens
- vitreous humor
- iris
- ciliary body
- choroid
- retina
- optic nerve
- trabecular meshwork
-
auditory apparatus
- external ear
- middle ear
- tympanum
- auditory tube
- auditory ossicle
-
internal ear
-
osseous labyrinth
-
cochlea
- spiral organ of Corti
- semicircular canal
- vestibule
-
cochlea
- membranous labyrinth
-
osseous labyrinth
- olfactory apparatus
- peripheral nerve
- ganglion
- sympathetic chain
-
visual apparatus
-
central nervous system
-
immune system
-
thymus
- T cell progenitor
- lymphocytes
- B cell
- memory B cell
- T cell
- T regulatory cell
- stromal cell
- naïve T cell
- neutrophil
- macrophage
- natural killer cell
- dendritic cell
- leukocyte
-
thymus
-
anatomical site
-
Anatomical System
References
- Arking, R. (2006) "Biology of Aging: Observations and Principles" 190-191
- Richardson and Nelson (1990) "Follicular depletion during the menopausal transition." Ann. N. Y. Acad. Sci. 592:13-20; discussion 44 (PubMed)
External Links
Description
For the first few years after menarche the menses tends to be irregular. Thereafter and throughout the middle reproductive years, cycles are regular, although they become progressively shorter with advancing age primarily owing to a shortening of follicular phase. In the 2-8 year period preceding the menopause, cycles again become highly variable, ranging from very short to very long. Fertility begins to decline many years prior to onset of irregular menses, being maximum in mid- to late twenties and decreasing steadily until menopause. Age-associated alterations in ovary, neuroendocrine system and uterus may all influence changing pattern of menses as well as declining fertility. The follicle number declines with age.
Relationships
-
Hot flushes
- Menopause and female fertility loss