The ultrastructure of human reproduction. 1. The natural history of the female germ cell: origin, migration and differentiation inside the developing ovary

This presentation, on both printed copy and CD-ROM, summarizesa series of original data on the ultrastructure of human reproductionproduced by our research group. In particular, female germ cellbehaviour at the time of migration and colonization of the gonadand germ-somatic cell interactions inside the developing ovaryare reviewed from a morphodynamic point of view. The resultsmostly consist of black-and-white transmission and scanningelectron microscopy (TEM and SEM) images. Artificially colouredSEM pictures, light microscopy images and drawings have alsobeen selected for iconography to render complex microanatomicaldetails and their morphofunctional relationships more comprehensible.In all, 35 images are presented in this article, each relatedto a concise text section and accompanied by a self-explainingcaption. A list of pertinent references is also provided.