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What changes happen to the ovaries at menopause?
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menstruation
Cyclical changes during a woman's normal ovulatory menstrual cycle.
At menopause, the ovaries undergo significant structural and functional changes as a woman’s reproductive life concludes. These changes include:
- Physical Shrinkage: The ovaries decrease in size and typically come to consist primarily of old fibrous tissue, some interstitial cells, and atretic (shrunken) follicles.12
- Follicle Depletion: By the time of menopause, the ovaries contain very few follicles. The depletion of these egg-containing follicles is the primary driver of the hormonal shifts that define menopause.23
- Hormonal Decline: The production of estrogen drops by 80 percent or more. While this production decreases significantly, it does not cease entirely.231
- Feedback Response: The marked reduction in estrogen and the loss of follicles trigger the pituitary gland to increase the secretion of follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) and luteinizing hormone (LH), demonstrating that the pituitary remains functional despite the decline in ovarian activity.23