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What is Oogenesis?

Niki Foster
Niki Foster
Niki Foster
Niki Foster

Oogenesis is the production of an ovum or egg cell, the female gamete or sex cell. It is one type of gametogenesis, or sex cell production, the other being the male process of spermatogenesis. Oogenesis happens in all sexually reproductive species, and it includes all of the immature stages of the ovum. As it matures, the ovum passes through five stages in mammals: the oogonium, the primary oocyte, the secondary oocyte, the ootid, and the ovum.

In most sexually reproductive species, the ovum contains half of the genetic material of a mature individual. Reproduction takes place when the egg cell is fertilized by the male gamete, or sperm. The sperm also contains half the genetic material of a mature individual, so the embryo formed by fertilization will contain a full set of genetic material, half from the ovum and half from the sperm.

Oogenesis occurs in the embryo sac of flowering plants.
Oogenesis occurs in the embryo sac of flowering plants.

The first stage of the immature ovum is the oogonium, formed by mitosis in the very early life of the organism. In mitosis, a cell replicates its DNA — its genetic material — before dividing into two identical daughter cells. Mitosis is also a method of asexual reproduction. In animals, sex cells or gametes, including egg cells, are only formed by meiosis, in which a cell divides without replication, resulting in daughter cells with only half the number of chromosomes of the parent cell. All other body cells are formed by mitosis.

The female reproductive system, including the ovaries.
The female reproductive system, including the ovaries.

In the first stage of oogenesis, the oogonium undergoes oocytogenesis, creating the primary oocyte through mitosis. Like the oogonium, the primary oocyte is a diploid cell, containing two complete sets of chromosomes. Sex cells are haploid cells, containing only half the amount of chromosomes in a diploid cell. Haploid cells are formed from diploid cells by meiosis.

In mitosis, a cell replicates its DNA before dividing into two daughter cells.
In mitosis, a cell replicates its DNA before dividing into two daughter cells.

Through ootidogenesis, a form of meiosis, the primary oocyte produces the haploid secondary oocyte. The process of ootidogenesis is halted halfway through, which is called dictyate, until ovulation, when it is completed to produce the released egg or ootid. In the final stage, the ootid develops into the ovum, the mature egg cell. In humans and other mammals, the secondary oocyte does not become an ootid until is is ready to be released during the menstrual cycle.

Oogenesis is the production of egg cells in a woman.
Oogenesis is the production of egg cells in a woman.

In protists, such as algae, and gymnosperms, the non-flowering seed-bearing land plants, oogenesis begins not in the oogonium, but in a specialized structure called the archigonium. In flowering plants, it takes place within the megagametophyte, or embryo sac, contained in the ovule in the flower's ovary. When the egg cell is mature, the ovule will become the seed, which protects and nourishes the egg cell. In some organisms, notably the parasitic roundworm ascaris, the meiosis period only begins if the sperm comes into contact with the primary oocyte.

Niki Foster
Niki Foster

In addition to her role as a TheHealthBoard editor, Niki enjoys educating herself about interesting and unusual topics in order to get ideas for her own articles. She is a graduate of UCLA, where she majored in Linguistics and Anthropology.

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Niki Foster
Niki Foster

In addition to her role as a TheHealthBoard editor, Niki enjoys educating herself about interesting and unusual topics in order to get ideas for her own articles. She is a graduate of UCLA, where she majored in Linguistics and Anthropology.

Learn more...

Discussion Comments

anon924581

How many egg cells are made?

IluvPittsbrg

@Leonidas226 -- Well I would think so! What are drosophila flies anyway? I've never heard of them, and I certainly hope I never encounter one if they can do that to a person!

Leonidas226

Drosophila flies can lay a sac containing about ten eggs in a given location. It is unpleasant to discover these sacs, since they eventually hatch into maggots. Finding maggots in your hair is particularly unpleasant.

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    • Oogenesis occurs in the embryo sac of flowering plants.
      By: Vidady
      Oogenesis occurs in the embryo sac of flowering plants.
    • The female reproductive system, including the ovaries.
      By: OOZ
      The female reproductive system, including the ovaries.
    • In mitosis, a cell replicates its DNA before dividing into two daughter cells.
      By: xtock
      In mitosis, a cell replicates its DNA before dividing into two daughter cells.
    • Oogenesis is the production of egg cells in a woman.
      By: Giovanni Cancemi
      Oogenesis is the production of egg cells in a woman.
    • Oogenesis includes all of the immature stages of the ovum.
      By: joshya
      Oogenesis includes all of the immature stages of the ovum.