Gametes are the cells responsible for sexual reproduction. They are also called sex cells and they fuse in the fertilization process to produce the zygote, which in turn gives rise to the embryo, generating a new being.
Gametes have half the chromosome set of a species. In humans, for example, while an autosomal cell has 46 chromosomes, its gametes have only 23 chromosomes. The number of chromosomes reduced by half in the gametes is essential for the maintenance of the number of chromosomes of a species, since the union of male and female gametes occurs.
→ Which organisms produce gametes?
Gametes are produced by organisms that perform sexually, such as animals and plants. The production process of these gametes is called gametogenesis.
→ Plant gamete
In plants, there are different gametes. In bryophytes and pteridophytes, the male gamete is flagellated and swims to the female gamete, which is immobile. The male gamete, in this case, is called anterozoid, and the female gamete is the oosphere
.In gymnosperms and angiosperms, the male gamete is the sperm core, and the female gamete is also called the oosphere. The spermatic nucleus meets the oosphere thanks to the development of the pollen tube.Do not stop now... There's more after the advertising ;)
→ Animal gamete
In animals, the male gamete is calledsperm, which is a reproductive cell endowed with a flagellum and therefore mobile. The female gamete is called oocyte and it is immobile.
O human sperm it is smaller than the oocyte and has a head and tail. In the head, there is the nucleus and a structure called the acrosome, which contains important enzymes that favor fertilization. The tail, in turn, guarantees locomotion and is formed by the intermediate part (rich in mitochondria that provide energy), the main part and the end part.
Osecondary human oocyte, also known as the egg, is the female gamete released during ovulation. It is characterized by being surrounded by the zona pellucida (formed by glycoprotein material) and the corona radiata (follicular cell layer).
By Ma. Vanessa Sardinha dos Santos
Would you like to reference this text in a school or academic work? Look:
SANTOS, Vanessa Sardinha dos. "What is a gamete?"; Brazil School. Available in: https://brasilescola.uol.com.br/o-que-e/biologia/o-que-e-gameta.htm. Accessed on June 27, 2021.
