Germ plasm or polar plasm is a zone found in the cytoplasm of the egg cells of some model organisms (such as Caenorhabditis elegans, Drosophila melanogaster, Xenopus laevis), which contains determinants that will give rise to the germ cell lineage. As the zygote undergoes mitotic divisions the germ plasm is ultimately restricted to a few cells of the embryo. These germ cells then migrate to the gonads.
Read more about Germ Plasm: Germ Plasm Theory, Germplasm, Other Usage
Famous quotes containing the word germ:
“And such the trust that still were mine,
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The germ of immortality!
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—Emma Hart Willard (17871870)