How many corpus lutei would be found in the ovaries of a woman who has just given birth to
fraternal triplets? Would this number be different if the triplets were identical? Explain why.
In a woman who has just given birth to fraternal triplets (meaning the triplets are not identical), there would typically be three corpus lutei found in her ovaries. This is because each corpus luteum is formed from a ruptured ovarian follicle that released an egg during ovulation, leading to the production of progesterone to support a potential pregnancy. In the case of fraternal triplets, three eggs were released and each developed into an embryo, resulting in three corpus lutei.
If the triplets were identical (resulting from the splitting of a single fertilized egg), there would only be one corpus luteum found in the woman's ovary. This is because all three embryos would have developed from the same egg, hence only one corpus luteum would be formed from the ruptured follicle.
In summary, the number of corpus lutei found in the ovaries of a woman who has given birth to triplets would depend on whether the triplets are fraternal or identical, as it directly correlates with the number of eggs that were released and fertilized.