Abstract
Gametogenesis is the sequence of events that occur as germ cells, or gonocytes, of the sex cell line form gametes. This complex process occurs within the gonadal tissues. The general process of gametogenesis is divisible into two main phases; a gonial phase and a gametogenic phase. These phases can be distinguished by the mode of cell division that gamete precursors undergo. During the gonial phase, cells of the germ cell line within the gonad undergo successive mitotic divisions and establish a population of gonial cells. In males, this phase is referred to as the spermatogonial phase during which spermatogonial cells are produced. In females of most vertebrates, the gonial phase occurs very early in the life cycle and establishes a population of oogonia within the ovary. During the subsequent gametogenic phase of both males and females, descendents of these gonial cells undergo meiotic divisions and are transformed into mature gametes.
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“A hen is only an egg’s way of making another egg.” -Samuel Butler
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© 1998 Springer Science+Business Media New York
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Lombardi, J. (1998). Gametes and their Production. In: Comparative Vertebrate Reproduction. Springer, Boston, MA. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4615-4937-6_5
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4615-4937-6_5
Publisher Name: Springer, Boston, MA
Print ISBN: 978-1-4613-7240-0
Online ISBN: 978-1-4615-4937-6
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