Theca of follicle
layer of the ovarian follicles
The theca of follicule or follicular theca, develops as an outer layer of the ovarian follicle when the primary follicle becomes a secondary follicle. As the follicles continue to grow the theca becomes organized into two layers a theca interna and a theca externa.
Theca cells are a group of endocrine cells in the ovary made up of stromal connective tissue surrounding the follicle. Their functions include promoting folliculogenesis and recruiting a single follicle during ovulation.
Theca interna
Theca interna cells express receptors for luteinizing hormone (LH) to produce androstenedione (an androgen), which via a few steps, gives the granulosa cells the precursor for estrogen manufacturing.
After rupture of the mature ovarian follicle, the theca interna cells differentiate into the theca lutein cells of the corpus luteum, which continue to secrete androgens.
Theca externa
The theca externa is the outer layer of the theca in the follicle. It is derived from connective tissue, the cells resemble fibroblasts, and contain abundant collagen. During ovulation, the surge in luteinizing hormone (LH surge) increases cAMP which increases progesterone and PGF2α production. PGF2α induces the contraction of the smooth muscle cells of the theca externa, increasing intrafollicular pressure.
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This entry incorporates text from “Theca of follicle” on English Wikipedia. Contributors are listed in the page history. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Selected authority identifiers and statements are retrieved from Wikidata under CC0; their references and qualifiers remain part of the verification path.