oocyte

/'ouəsait/

Thân thiện

A scientist carefully observes a human oocyte under a microscope.

Definition

1. Noun:
   • A female gametocyte that develops into an ovum (egg cell) after two meiotic divisions: An oocyte is an immature egg cell found in the ovaries of female animals. It is a cell that undergoes a specialized process of cell division called meiosis to become a mature ovum capable of being fertilized.

Examples of Usage

• Noun:
  • The primary oocyte is arrested in prophase I of meiosis until puberty.
  • During each menstrual cycle, a secondary oocyte is released from the ovary during ovulation.
  • The scientist studied the maturation of the oocyte in the laboratory.

Advanced Usage

• "Germinal vesicle": This term refers to the large nucleus of a primary oocyte before it resumes meiosis.

  • The breakdown of the germinal vesicle marks the resumption of meiosis in the oocyte.

• "Oocyte donation": A process in assisted reproduction where an oocyte from a donor is used.

  • The couple considered oocyte donation to start a family.

Variants and Related Words

• Oogenesis (n): The process of formation and development of the oocyte into a mature ovum.

  • Oogenesis is a complex process that begins before a female is born.

• Ovarian follicle (n): The structure in the ovary that contains and nurtures the developing oocyte.

  • The oocyte develops within a protective ovarian follicle.

Synonyms

• Immature egg cell: A descriptive synonym emphasizing the developmental stage.
• Female gametocyte: A technical synonym highlighting its role as a precursor to a gamete (sex cell).

Related Terms (Not Phrasal Verbs)

• Ovum (n): The mature, fertilizable female gamete that an oocyte develops into.
• Zygote (n): The cell formed by the union of a male gamete (sperm) and a female gamete (ovum, which developed from an oocyte).

Học thuật

Noun

1. a female gametocyte that develops into an ovum after two meiotic divisions