Oocyte

An oocyte is a female germ cell that grows within an ovarian follicle and undergoes meiotic maturation before it can support fertilization and early embryonic development[1-3]. Mammalian oocytes interact bidirectionally with surrounding cumulus cells through transzonal projections and gap junctions that transfer ions, metabolites, amino acids, and regulatory molecules required for growth and maturation, while age-associated spindle disruption, oxidative stress, mitochondrial damage, and aneuploidy can reduce quality^[1][2]. Oocytes are studied in folliculogenesis, meiosis, reproductive aging, infertility, assisted reproduction, in-vitro maturation, and single-cell transcriptomics[1-3], but the input does not specify species or developmental stage.