Oophorectomy is the surgical removal of the ovaries of a female animal. In the case of non-human animals, this is also called spaying. It is a form of sterilization.
The removal of the ovaries together with the Fallopian tubes is called salpingo-oophorectomy. Oophorectomy and salpingo-oophorectomy are not common forms of birth control in humans; more usual is tubal ligation, in which the Fallopian tubes are blocked but the ovaries remain intact.
In humans, oophorectomy is most usually performed together with a hysterectomy - the removal of the uterus. Its use in a hysterectomy when there are no other health problems is somewhat controversial.
In animals, spaying involves an invasive removal of the ovaries, but rarely has major complications; the superstition that it causes weight gain is not based on fact. Spaying is especially important for certain animals that require the ovum to be released at a certain interval (called estrus or "heat"), such as cats and dogs. If the cell is not released during these animal's heat, it can cause severe medical problems that can be averted by spaying or partnering the animal with a male.
Oophorectomy is sometimes referred to as castration, but that term is most often used to mean the removal of a male animal's testicles.
See also
May 25 is the 145th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (146th in leap years). There are 220 days remaining.
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| 2005 calendar |
Events
1000-1899
- 1085 - Alfonso VI of Castile takes Toledo, Spain back from the Moors.
- 1420 - Henry the Navigator is appointed governor of the Order of Christ .
- 1521 - The Diet of Worms ends when Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor issues the Edict of Worms, declaring Martin Luther an outlaw.
- 1659 - Richard Cromwell resigns as Lord Protector of England following the restoration of the Long Parliament, beginning a second brief period of the republican government called the Commonwealth.
- 1787 - In Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, delegates begin to convene a Constitutional Convention to write a new Constitution for the United States. George Washington presides.
- 1810 - In the May Revolution, armed citizens of Buenos Aires, Argentina expel the Viceroy during the Semana de Mayo.
- 1865 - Mobile magazine explosion: 300 are killed in Mobile, Alabama when an ordnance depot explodes.
- 1895 - Playwright, poet and novelist Oscar Wilde is convicted of Censored page and gross indecency and sentenced to serve two years in prison.
- 1895 - The Republic of Taiwan is formed, with Tang Ching-sung as the president.
1900-1999
- 1914 - The United Kingdom's House of Commons passes Irish Home Rule.
- 1925 - Scopes Trial: John T. Scopes is indicted for teaching Darwin's theory of evolution.
- 1925 - The National Forensics League of America is founded.
- 1935 - In a span of 45 minutes at the Big Ten meet in Ann Arbor, Michigan, Jesse Owens sets or ties four track and field world records.
- 1935 - At Forbes Field in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, Babe Ruth hits his 714th and last home run setting a baseball record that will stand for 39 years.
- 1940 - World War II: The Battle of Dunkirk begins.
- 1946 - The parliament of Transjordan makes emir Abdullah their king.
- 1953 - Nuclear testing: At the Nevada Test Site, the United States conducts its first and only nuclear artillery test.
- 1961 - Apollo program: American president John F. Kennedy announces before a special joint session of Congress his goal to initiate a project to put a "man on the moon" before the end of the decade.
- 1963 - In Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, the Organisation of African Unity is established.
- 1966 - Explorer program: Explorer 32 launches.
- 1968 - In St. Louis, Missouri, US Vice-President Hubert Humphrey and US Secretary of the Interior Stewart Udall dedicate the Gateway Arch as part of the Jefferson National Expansion Memorial.
- 1973 - Mike Oldfield releases Tubular Bells.
- 1977 - Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope opens in theaters and becomes the highest grossing movie to date.
- 1979 - American Airlines Flight 191: In Chicago, Illinois, a DC-10 crashes during takeoff at O'Hare International Airport killing 271 on board and two people on the ground.
- 1979 - Alien opens in theaters, starring Tom Skerritt and Sigourney Weaver.
- 1981 - In Riyadh, the Gulf Cooperation Council is created between Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.
- 1982 - HMS Coventry (D118) is sunk during the Falklands War.
- 1983 - Star Wars Episode VI: Return of the Jedi opens in theaters
- 1985 - Bangladesh is hit by a tropical cyclone and storm surge which kills approximately 10,000 people.
- 1990 - Back to the Future Part III opens in theaters.
- 1994 - Beverly Hills Cop III opens in theaters, starring Eddie Murphy.
- 1995 - The Bosnian Serb Army kills 72 youngsters in the Bosnian city of Tuzla.
- 1997 - A military coup in Sierra Leone replaces President Ahmad Tejan Kabbah with Major Johnny Paul Koromah.
- 1997 - Strom Thurmond becomes the longest serving member in the history of the United States Senate (41 years and 10 months).
2000-2099
Births
1800-1899
1900-1999
- 1913 - Richard Dimbleby, journalist and broadcaster
- 1922 - Enrico Berlinguer, politician (d. 1984)
- 1926 - Max von der Grün , author
- 1927 - Robert Ludlum, spy fiction writer (d. 2001)
- 1929 - Beverly Sills, American soprano
- 1931 - Georgi Grechko, cosmonaut
- 1925 - Jeanne Crain, actress
- 1935 - Cookie Gilchrist, American football player
- 1938 - Raymond Carver, writer and poet (d. 1988)
- 1939 - Ian McKellen, actor
- 1939 - Dixie Carter, actress
- 1943 - Jessi Colter , country singer
- 1944 - Frank Oz, puppeteer, director
- 1949 - Jamaica Kincaid, novelist
- 1963 - Mike Myers, actor, comedian
- 1966 - Sugar Minott, singer
- 1967 - Poppy Z. Brite, author
- 1969 - Anne Heche, actress
- 1970 - Jamie Kennedy, actor
- 1971 - Sonya Smith, actress
- 1975 - Lauryn Hill, singer
- 1976 - Miguel Tejada, Major League Baseball All-Star
- 1979 - Monica Keena, American actress
Deaths
700-1899
1900-1999
Holidays and observances
May 24 - May 26 - April 25 - June 25 - listing of all days
Last updated: 02-07-2005 09:08:00