A germ cell is any biological cell that gives rise to the gametes of an organism that reproduces sexually. In many animals, the germ cells originate near the gut of an embryo and migrate to the developing gonads. There, they undergo cell division of two types, mitosis and meiosis, followed by cellular differentiation into mature gametes, either eggs or sperm. Unlike animals, plants do not have germ cells set aside in early development. Instead, germ cells can come from somatic cells in the adult (such as the floral meristem of flowering plants).
Read more about Germ Cell: Introduction, Specification, Migration, Gametogenesis, Diseases, Induced Differentiation From Stem Cells
Famous quotes containing the words germ and/or cell:
“He represents the privilege of the intellect, the power, namely, of carrying up every fact to successive platforms, and so disclosing, in every fact, a germ of explanation.”
—Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803–1882)
“A cell for prayer, a hall for joy,—
They treated nature as they would.”
—Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803–1882)