Oogenesis similar to spermatogenesis

[caters]

I think I have found a biological solution to prevent menopause. My Kepler Bb humanoids don't get more frail with old age so aging is not a cause of death for them. They can survive well past 100 years if the conditions are just right. Because of this, I figured "If they don't die of old age, what is the point of menopause?"

This led me to my biological solution that involves adding differences to human anatomy.

In particular, there are 2 pairs of ovaries connected by small tubes. These are the primary and secondary ovaries.

The primary ovaries are closest to the fallopian tubes and are where meiosis takes place. Once meiosis is complete and thus the egg is haploid, ovulation takes place.

The secondary ovaries are closer to the uterus and are where mitosis takes place. Oogonia are like stem cells here. 1 becomes the next oogonium while the other becomes an egg cell. This primary oocyte that results from mitosis migrates into the primary ovaries where a follicle starts forming around the oocyte.

The only way menopause can happen in these females is if the secondary ovaries are surgically removed or become dysfunctional and stop producing eggs. Otherwise, the female will continue ovulating every month until death.

But is my biological solution plausible? I mean yes, lifetime ovulation does mean higher chance of pregnancy mortality and ovarian cancer. But considering that these humanoids don't die of old age, is it a good solution?

 

[Tom]

Females stay fertile for their full lifetime.

Consider that the whole reason for reproduction is a form of immortality.
A lifeform that is immortal requires no reproductive ability.
Reminds me of the film
Lucy (2014)

Here is a response on it at
Cell evolution: immortality vs reproduction

Morgan Freeman's speech in the movie on cell evolution did interest me.
The speech claimed that cells in harsher environments evolve towards immortality, while cells in favorable environments evolve toward reproduction.

This is a response:

You'll see that in many cases, when any sort of cell enters a zone of intolerance or zone of physical stress, the replication machinery gets put on the backburner (and thus replication). Expression of stress-response proteins like heat shock proteins is increased as a result (1). If a cell isn't within acceptable parameter to undergo division at G1 or G2 (anoxic environment, etc.), you'll find mechanisms like G0 phase or sporulation are preferred until the environment returns to something less stressful (2). I wouldn't say cells would rather be immortal, per se, but longevity or even apoptosis/entosis/etc. would be preferable to replication if nothing is going right (3, 4).

To be clear, when we're talking about evolution that's a tough one. Sure, some sort of stress-response transient signal could induce some lasting cell memory selecting toward a specific function. I simply don't have the data to quote you in that aspect, however.

Biology of the heat shock response and protein chaperones: budding yeast (Saccharomyces cerevisiae) as a model system.

Slonczewski, J., & Foster, J. (2011). Microbiology: An evolving science (2nd ed., p. 143). New York: W.W. Norton.

DNA damage-induced apoptosis

Cellular Stress Responses: Cell Survival and Cell Death

As a footnote, while replication does occur in sporulation, the replicated chromosome is destroyed in the process of forming the actual spore.

Prolonging the reproduction cycle may have unknown effects on your Kepler Bb humanoids. The effects will not be restricted to just body specifications. They will impact emotional and society stability.
This will impact your story greatly. Common associations with your characters will need to be closely monitored and written to include these changes in every way possible or the reader will pick up on the inconsistencies.

Why is she excited to get pregnant if she has her whole life to do it.
Why hurry to build a home and create a family atmosphere if there is plenty of time?
The reproduction urgency is changed. There is no longer a sense of urgency if the reproduction ability lasts as long as she lives.
This is going to be transmitted to all aspects of society.
Its going to change the very fiber of emotional state.
Its important to consider the butterly effect of changes in a story.
Readers of science fiction are pretty smart and notice things that are out of place in a story.
Often, it makes them put the book down and move to the next.

There is a difference between casually stating that women no longer experience menopause due to their long lives and going into great detail of the physical changes to justify the statement.

In one, the reader is inspired to wonder about the details.
In the other, the reader is forced to accept the details no matter if they understand the implications or not.

 

[sci-fi-dude]

Wow! This removes the best part of life. Everyone will perish eventually, its the natural way of things. Good thing I believe in the after life, so I'm hooked up. You cant stop the aging process, you can alter a persons looks, and staying in good shape helps. From the soil ye came to the soil ye return! Now if yall will excuse me I have a few gals ill be visiting!