Ovary Under the Microscope (top section)

Ovary (top section), Homo sapiens

Ovary (top section), prepared microscope slide

This is a frozen section of human ovary tissue stained with H&E. It mostly shows the ovary's supporting tissue (stroma) and blood vessels.

This is a frozen section of a human ovary, stained with H&E so nuclei look purple and collagen looks pink. Most of the tissue is stroma, a dense mix of thin, spindle-shaped cells and collagen fibers. Dark purple clusters of cells are scattered through it. No follicles, the structures that hold egg cells, stand out in this section, a pattern common after menopause, when few follicles remain. The tears and gaps are from quick freezing and cutting, a common side effect of this method.

What to look for

Stroma: Dense tissue of spindle-shaped cells with purple nuclei, set in pink collagen, often in swirls.
Blood vessels: Tubes of various sizes running through the stroma, some filled with red blood cells.
Collagen: Pink fibers between the stromal cells.
Tears: Gaps and cracks in the tissue caused by cutting frozen tissue.

Questions and answers

What does ovary tissue look like under a microscope?

Ovary tissue has a dense background of spindle-shaped cells and collagen called stroma, with blood vessels running through it. In younger ovaries, you may also see round follicles, each holding an egg cell.

Why are there no follicles on some ovary slides?

The number of follicles drops with age, and after menopause the ovary is mostly stroma. Any single section is also a very thin slice, so it may miss the follicles that are present.

Compare it

How to identify tissue types

Based upon data generated by the TCGA Research Network (https://www.cancer.gov/tcga) and made available through the NCI Genomic Data Commons (GDC). See credits.

Category: Histology and Tissue
Scan magnification: 20x
Stain: H&E

Viewing this slide in class

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