The Menopause and Longevity: Who We Are 3

Fertile women cycle until they are around fifty years old, at which point a phenomenon called menopause occurs, when a woman ceases to produce eggs for fertilisation. Millions of ova develop within the female unborn baby, far more than the 450 or so that are ever used, so why has this cut-off point evolved?

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Possible explanations for the menopause

There are a number of possible explanations. One is that it prevents older ova, which may lead to birth problems, defects or stillbirth, from...