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FUNCTION It is essential for establishing and maintaining pregnancy in females. In the ovary, the corpus luteum secretes Estrogen s and Progesterone , which are Steroid Hormone s responsible for the thickening of the Endometrium and its development and maintenance, respectively. If the egg is not fertilized, the corpus luteum stops secreting progesterone and decays (after approximately 14 days in humans). It then degenerates into a Corpus Albicans , which is a mass of fibrous Scar tissue. The uterine lining sloughs off without progesterone and is either resorbed (in most animals) or expelled through the Vagina (in humans and some great apes). The latter is called Menstruation . If fertilized, however, the placenta secretes the hormone Human Chorionic Gonadotropin (hCG) or a similar hormone in other species. This hormone signals the corpus luteum to continue progesterone secretion, thereby maintaining the thick lining (endometrium) of the uterus, and providing an area rich in Blood Vessel s in which the Zygote (s) can develop. From this point on, the corpus luteum is called the corpus luteum graviditatis. The introduction of the hormone Prostaglandin at this point causes the degeneration of the corpus luteum and the Abortion of the Fetus . However, in placental animals such as humans the Placenta eventually takes over progesterone production and the corpus luteum degrades into a Corpus Albicans without embryo/fetus loss. STRUCTURE After ovulation LH causes the broken follicle to fill with cells forming a yellow body called the corpus luteum. The corpus luteum is typically a very large relative to the size of the ovary; in humans, the size of the structure ranges from under 2 cm to 6 cm in diameter. {Link without Title} Its cells develop from the follicular cells surrounding the ovarian follicle. The granulosa cells become the outer ''granulosa lutein'' layer and secrete progesterone. Theca interna cells become the inner ''theca lutein'' layer which secretes estrogen. REFERENCE
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