Britannica
Sources used in this answer
How does the corpus luteum change when pregnancy does not occur?
Created from Britannica articles
using AI.
AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.
atrophy
One example of atrophy is the progressive loss of bone that occurs in osteoporosis (normal bone shown on left; osteoporotic bone shown on right).
When pregnancy does not occur, the corpus luteum undergoes a process of degeneration, which is a form of physiological atrophy.
If the egg is not fertilized, the life span of the corpus luteum is limited to approximately 14 days. Toward the end of this period, the gland becomes inactive and begins to degenerate. As it shrinks, fibrous tissue replaces the glandular cells, and the structure is converted into a scarlike mass known as the corpus albicans. This remnant typically persists in the ovary for a few months before eventually fading. This decline in the corpus luteum's activity and the subsequent drop in hormone production trigger the onset of menstruation.12