This chapter is intended to be an
introduction to what has been accomplished thus far using
these systems and what possibilities exist for the future.
The use of primary ovarian cell cultures or cell lines will
not be discussed, because that topic is deserving of its own
review(s). The techniques for successful in vitro culture of
intact organs and tissues were established early in this
century (2), and have been utilized for many diverse
research interests. The use of such systems has been to
achieve two main goals: 1) a greater understanding of the
physiological regulation of follicular development,
ovulation, and atresia in the ovary, and 2) the development
of ovarian follicles, possibly from cryopreserved ovarian
tissue, to obtain mature oocytes for use in assisted
reproduction technologies.