The ovarian surface epithelium, also called the germinal epithelium of Waldeyer,[1] or coelomic epithelium, is a layer of simple squamous-to-cuboidal epithelial cells covering the ovary.[2]
Germinal epithelium (female) | |
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Identifiers | |
FMA | 18629 |
Anatomical terminology [edit on Wikidata] |
The term germinal epithelium is a misnomer as it does not give rise to primary follicles.[3]
These cells are derived from the mesoderm during embryonic development and are closely related to the mesothelium of the peritoneum. The germinal epithelium gives the ovary a dull gray color as compared with the shining smoothness of the peritoneum; and the transition between the mesothelium of the peritoneum and the cuboidal cells which cover the ovary is usually marked by a line around the anterior border of the ovary.
Ovarian surface epithelium can give rise to surface epithelial-stromal tumor.
This article incorporates text in the public domain from the 20th edition of Gray's Anatomy (1918)