Figure 2

Diagram of events occurring in the ovary and in vitro during controlled ovarian stimulation cycles leading to assisted reproduction in primates. This chapter will discuss the methods and their limitations for increasing circulating levels of gonadotropins (FSH, LH, CG) to override the typical selection and maturation of a single "dominant" follicle in the natural menstrual cycle, thereby stimulating the development and maturation of multiple large follicles whose oocytes can be collected for in vitro manipulation (e.g., in vitro fertilization, IVF) prior to return to the reproductive tract (embryo transfer, ET) for pregnancy initiation.