Sexual reproduction depends upon meiosis for the generation of haploid gamete nuclei, which unite after fertilization to form the diploid zygote. The oocytes of most animal species arrest during meiotic prophase, and complete meiosis in response to intercellular signaling in a process called meiotic maturation. Oocyte meiotic maturation is defined by the transition between diakinesis and metaph...

The incidence of childhood obesity is rising dramatically throughout industrialised countries. To evaluate and study the impact of childhood obesity on lipoprotein metabolism, we developed a new animal model of premature obesity. Yucatan mini-pigs aged 4 months were studied over a 12-month period from childhood to adulthood. Animals were divided into two groups: the first group were overfed a W...

Cockroaches, like many other animal species, form aggregations in which social stimuli from conspecifics can alter the physiology, morphology, or behavior of individuals. In adult females of the German cockroach, Blattella germanica, social isolation slows oocyte development, sexual maturation, and sexual receptivity, whereas social interactions as minimal as between just two females accelerate...

Title of Thesis: THE EFFECTS OF NEONATAL OXYTOCIN ON SEXUAL MATURATION AND THE EXPRESSION OF SOCIOSEXUAL REPRODUCTIVE BEHAVIOR IN FEMALE RATS Thomas F. Withuhn, Master of Science, 2004 Thesis directed By: Professor Bruce S. Cushing Department of Biology While the role of oxytocin (OT) in regulating adult behavior data is thoroughly documented, increasing evidence suggests that neonatal exposure...

AIM To examine the expression and regulation of integral membrane protein 2b (Itm2b) in rat male reproductive tissues during sexual maturation and under different treatments by in situ hybridization. METHODS Testis, epididymis, and vas deferens were collected on days 1-70 to examine Itm2b expression during sexual maturation. To further examine the regulation of Itm2b, adult rats underwent sur...