Fig. 4

Photomicrograph illustrating the collagen fibers type I (A-C) and elastic fibers (D-F) distribution in the sheep ovary during the follicular phase. A-C: Showing collagen fibers type I in tunica albuginea (TA), theca externa (TE) of large antral follicle (LAF), and of preovulatory follicle (POF), surrounded the regressed corpus luteum (RCL), in corpus albicans (CA), surrounded the blood vessles (BV) and in ovarian stroma (OS). D-F: Showing elastic fibers in tunica albuginea (TA), ovarian stroma ( ) theca externa (arrow) of growing (GF) and antral follicles (AF). Note the orcein positive granulosa cells (G) of antral follicles and the orcein negative zona pellucida (Z) and the cytoplasm of the oocyte. Original magnification; A, B & D: X40, scale bar = 500 µm, C & E: X100, scale bar = 200 µm, F: X 400, scale bar = 50 µm, A-C: Picro-Sirius red technique and D-F: Orcien stain