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Fertilization terminology: gametes, zygotes, haploid, diploid (video) | Khan Academy

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Internet URLs are the best. Thank You for Your Contribution! There was a problem with your submission. Please try again later. Keep Exploring Britannica Quantum mechanics. Quantum mechanics, science dealing with the behaviour of matter and light on the atomic and subatomic…. Education, discipline that is concerned with methods of teaching and learning in schools or school-like….


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Cancer, group of more than distinct diseases characterized by the uncontrolled growth of abnormal…. If you prefer to suggest your own revision of the article, you can go to edit mode requires login. Thank you for your feedback. Discover your curiosity type, learn about curious people, and sign up for our Curiosity Challenge. This process also involves meiosis including meiotic recombination occurring in the diploid primary spermatocyte to produce the haploid spermatozoon gamete.

Formation of Gametes

In contrast to a gamete, the diploid somatic cells of an individual contain one copy of the chromosome set from the sperm and one copy of the chromosome set from the egg cell; that is, the cells of the offspring have genes expressing characteristics of both the father and the mother. A gamete's chromosomes are not exact duplicates of either of the sets of chromosomes carried in the diploid chromosomes, and often undergo random mutations resulting in modified DNA and subsequently, new proteins and phenotypes.

In humans , a normal ovum can carry only an X chromosome of the X and Y chromosomes , whereas a sperm may carry either an X or a Y a non-normal ovum can end up carrying two or no X chromosomes, as a result of an irregularity at either of the two stages of meiosis, while a non-normal sperm cell can end up carrying either no sex-defining chromosomes, an XY pair, or XX pair as a result of the forementioned reason ; ergo the male sperm can play a role in determining the sex of any resulting zygote , if the zygote has two X chromosomes it may develop into a female, if it has an X and a Y chromosome, it may develop into a male.

Research shows that artificial gametes may be a reproductive technique for same-sex male couples, although a surrogate mother would still be required for the gestation period.

Gametes and fertilisation

Plants which reproduce sexually also have gametes. However, since plants have an alternation of diploid and haploid generations some differences exist. In flowering plants the flowers use meiosis to produce a haploid generation which produce gametes through mitosis. The female haploid is called the ovule and is produced by the ovary of the flower. When mature the haploid ovule produces the female gamete which are ready for fertilization. The male haploid is pollen and is produced by the anther , when pollen lands on a mature stigma of a flower it grows a pollen tube down into the flower.

The haploid pollen then produces sperm by mitosis and releases them for fertilization.

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From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. Response to physiological changes in osmolality, channel blockers and potential sperm osmolytes. Resources for gamete Time Traveler!


  1. Textausgabe + Lektüreschlüssel. Jakob Michael Reinhold Lenz: Der Hofmeister: Reclam Textausgabe + Lektüreschlüssel (German Edition).
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  5. Explore the year a word first appeared. Dictionary Entries near gamete gametal gametangial gametangium gamete gamete intrafallopian transfer game theory gametic number. Time Traveler for gamete The first known use of gamete was in See more words from the same year. English Language Learners Definition of gamete.

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