A description of the biological state being observed or measured, the biological compartment in which it is measured, and its general role in the biology should be provided. For example, the biological state being measured could be the activity of an enzyme, the expression of a gene or abundance of an mRNA transcript, the concentration of a hormone or protein, neuronal activity, heart rate, etc. The biological compartment may be a particular cell type, tissue, organ, fluid (e.g., plasma, cerebrospinal fluid), etc. The role in the biology could describe the reaction that an enzyme catalyses and the role of that reaction within a given metabolic pathway; the protein that a gene or mRNA transcript codes for and the function of that protein; the function of a hormone in a given target tissue, physiological function of an organ, etc. Careful attention should be taken to avoid reference to other KEs, KERs or AOPs. Only describe this KE as a single isolated measurable event/state. This will ensure that the KE is modular and can be used by other AOPs, thereby facilitating construction of AOP networks.
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Vitellogenin from the blood is selectively taken up by competent oocytes via receptor-mediated endocytosis. Although vitellogenin receptors mediate the uptake, opening of intercellular channels through the follicular layers to the oocyte surface as the oocyte reaches a “critical” size is thought to be a key trigger in allowing vitellogenin uptake (Tyler and Sumpter 1996). Once critical size is achieved, concentrations in the plasma and temperature are thought to impose the primary limits on uptake (Tyler and Sumpter 1996). Uptake of vitellogenin into oocytes causes considerable oocyte growth during vitellogenesis, accounting for up to 95% of the final egg size in many fish (Tyler and Sumpter 1996). Given the central role of vitellogenesis in oocyte maturation, vitellogenin accumulation is a prominent feature used in histological staging of oocytes (e.g., (Leino et al. 2005; Wolf et al. 2004).