corpus luteum

[ kawr-puhs loo-tee-uhm ]

noun

, plural cor·po·ra lu·te·a [kawr, -per-, uh, , loo, -tee-, uh].

1. Anatomy, Zoology. a ductless gland developed within the ovary by the reorganization of a Graafian follicle following ovulation.
2. Pharmacology. an extract of this gland, usually of the hog or cow, the chief product of which is progesterone.

corpus luteum

/ ˈluːtɪəm /

noun

1. a yellow glandular mass of tissue that forms in a Graafian follicle following release of an ovum. It secretes progesterone, a hormone necessary to maintain pregnancy

corpus luteum

/ lo̅o̅′tē-əm /

, Plural corpora lutea

1. A yellow mass of cells that forms from a mature ovarian follicle after ovulation and that secretes progesterone. If fertilization of the egg occurs, the corpus luteum persists for the first few months of pregnancy.

Word History and Origins

Origin of corpus luteum¹

1780–90; < New Latin: yellow body

Word History and Origins

Origin of corpus luteum¹

New Latin, literally: yellow body

Example Sentences

The females, Vigne suspects, could be suffering from a syndrome called persistent corpus luteum, which prevents the animal from cycling properly.

From Scientific American

It is produced by the corpus luteum, which is what is left behind by the follicle that ovulates.

From Scientific American

Here, it changes the timing of the development of egg-bearing follicles, and promotes the development and function of the corpus luteum, a temporary endocrine structure crucial to sustaining pregnancy.

From Science Magazine

And whereas most mammals have only one corpus luteum—a temporary gland that controls hormone levels during pregnancy—elephants have as many as 11.

From Science Magazine

Bilirubin presents the former relation, while chloroform solutions of the coloring matter of the yelk of egg and of the corpus luteum, called lutein or h�molutein, are not decolorized by an alkali.

From Project Gutenberg