Ovaries are glands that comprise a key element of the female vertebrate reproductive system. Homologous to the male testes, the ovaries secrete the female sex hormones estrogen and progesterone, as well as a number of other minor hormones. During embryonic development, the ovaries produce immature eggs, which mature and are released later in life after reproductive maturity has been reached. According to traditional scientific opinion, the eggs female mammals produce a before they are born serve as their sole source of eggs throughout their reproductive years. However, recent scientific evidence obtained from studies of rodents suggests that this may not be the case. Whether or not humans can produce additional eggs postnatally is not yet known with certainty.

A number of diseases and conditions may affect the ovaries and result in their malfunction. One of the most common among women of reproductive age is polycystic ovary disease (PCOD). As suggested by its name, PCOD is characterized by the presence of numerous small cysts that cover the outer surfaces of the ovaries. PCOD patients also generally experience an enlargement of the ovaries and any of a number of different symptoms, including irregular menses, abnormal facial and body hair growth, acne, and obesity. Conception may be difficult to impossible for patients depending on the severity of their disease. With treatment, PCOD-related infertility can sometimes be overcome, though miscarriage is common among those patients that successfully become pregnant.

A rat ovary tissue section (shown above) was stained with Oregon Green 488 conjugated to wheat germ agglutinin, a plant-derived lectin that targets the Golgi apparatus, as well as Alexa Fluor 568 conjugated to phalloidin for cytoskeletal actin. Cell nuclei were labeled with Hoechst 33342. Images were recorded in grayscale with a 12-bit digital camera coupled to a Nikon Eclipse 80i microscope equipped with bandpass emission fluorescence filter optical blocks. During the processing stage, individual image channels were pseudocolored with RGB values corresponding to each of the fluorophore emission spectral profiles.