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The egg cell or ovum (pl.: ova) is the female reproductive cell, or gamete, [1] in most anisogamous organisms (organisms that reproduce sexually with a larger, female gamete and a smaller, male one). The term is used when the female gamete is not capable of movement (non- motile ).
An oocyte (/ ˈ oʊ ə s aɪ t /, oöcyte, or ovocyte is a female gametocyte or germ cell involved in reproduction. In other words, it is an immature ovum, or egg cell. An oocyte is produced in a female fetus in the ovary during female gametogenesis. The female germ cells produce a primordial germ cell (PGC), which then undergoes mitosis ...
The megaspore that remains divides mitotically and develops into the gametophyte, which eventually produces one egg cell. [2] In the most common type of megagametophyte development in flowering plants (the Polygonum type), three mitotic divisions are involved in producing the gametophyte, which has seven cells, one of which (the central cell ...
Oocyte (or ovum/egg) activation is a series of processes that occur in the oocyte during fertilization. Sperm entry causes calcium release into the oocyte. In mammals, this is caused by the introduction of phospholipase C isoform zeta (PLCζ) from the sperm cytoplasm. [ 1 ]
In the brown alga Fucus, all four egg cells survive oogenesis, which is an exception to the rule that generally only one product of female meiosis survives to maturity. In plants, oogenesis occurs inside the female gametophyte via mitosis. In many plants such as bryophytes, ferns, and gymnosperms, egg cells are formed in archegonia.
The zona pellucida is an extracellular matrix that surrounds the plasma membrane of the egg cell. It helps protect the egg, and has an essential role in fertilization by sperm. It is surrounded by the corona radiata. The corona is composed of cells that care for the egg when it is emitted from the ovary. [1]
Oocyte abnormalities can be caused by a variety of genetic factors affecting different stages in meiosis. [1] Moreover, ageing is associated with oocyte abnormalities since higher maternal age is associated with oocytes with a reduced gene expression of spindle assembly checkpoints which are important in maintaining stability in the genome.
For example, in the fertilized sea urchin egg, it has been shown that the cortical granule exocytosis immediately follows the calcium increase after approximately 6 seconds. In mammals, the first calcium wave occurs within 1–4 minutes following fertilization, and cortical granule exocytosis occurs within 5–30 minutes following fertilization.