Ovary

🩺 Before you name anything

Take a deep breath and let's start by looking at the whole picture. At low power, notice the overall architecture. You can see multiple circular structures, which are follicles at various stages of development within the ovarian cortex. This is your first clue that you're looking at an ovary. The mistake students often make is jumping straight to high power and trying to identify specific cells without understanding the broader context. Focus on recognising the follicles first. They are the signature feature of the ovary. Once you've identified them, you can start to differentiate between the stages of the follicles, but remember, stage assignment can be tricky, so approach it cautiously. Keep in mind that the medulla is more vascular, but you might not clearly see it here. Stay calm, and remember that recognising the follicles is already a significant step forward. Note that in this field, the differentiation between stages is not clearly demonstrated, as several follicles appear at a similar antral stage.