How many eggs does a woman have when she is born?
A. Unlike men, who produce new sperm daily throughout most of their lifetime, women are born with a specific number of undeveloped eggs (around one to two million) in their ovaries. When a female reaches puberty and starts menstruating, only about 300,000 immature egg cells, or follicles, still remain. Some of these begin to develop with each monthly cycle. At this time, only one follicle matures into an ovum (egg) and bursts from an ovary into the fallopian tubes, initiating ovulation. Through a process known as atresia, many of the follicles that don’t develop into mature egg cells start to degenerate. As a result, only a few hundred remain at menopause. This will usually begin around forty-five to fifty years of age. Because of the hormonal changes that normally accompany menopause, the remaining follicles are unlikely to mature and will not become viable eggs. Women going through menopause can still get pregnant.
