~ Gametogenesis

It is the production of haploid gametes from diploid somatic (body) cells. Spermatogenesis
takes place in the testes, and oogenesis in the ovaries.
Spermatozoa (sperm) are made in the testes, a pair of organs that are held in a pouch of
skin called the scrotum. The process which produces the sperm is known as
spermatogenesis.
~ Spermatogenesis
Each testis is composed of a series of lobules. They contain seminiferous tubules, the
structures in which sperm production take place. The process has three main phases:
Multiplication: As large number of sperm are needed, cells of the germinal
epithelium divides by mitosis to produce many spermatogonia (sperm mother
cells)
Growth: The spermatogonia grow into primary spermatocytes. At this stage the
cell are still diploid (2n).
Maturation: the diploid primary spermatocytes undergo meiosis. After the first
division they become secondary spermatocytes and when meiosis is complete they
have become haploid spermatids. In the final part of the maturation process, the
spermatids differentiate into familiar Spermatozoa (sperm).
Throughout their development, sperm cells are closely associated with nurse cells
(sertoli), from which they obtain nutrients. In the lumen of the seminiferous tubule the
tail of the spermatozoa are clearly visible: their heads are attached o sertoli cells.

~Oogenesis
The process of oogenesis is divided into three phases:
Multiplication: As the female embryo grows, primordial germ cells in the
epithelium (outer layer) of the ovary go through a series of mitotic divisions to
produce a population of the larger cells called oogonia.
Growth: Oogonia move towards the middle of the ovary where they grow and go
through further mitotic divisions to become primary oocytes. Each oocyte is
surrounded by a layer of the follicle cells. Together they form a primary follicle.
Maturation: From the puberty onwards, a few primary follicles mature each
month. Usually, only one completes its development, the rest degenerate. The
remaining primary follicle grows larger, becoming an ovarian follicle. Its cells
secrete follicular fluid, producing droplets which join together to form fluid that
fills the space known as the antrum, The mature follicle, the Graafian follicle, is
almost 1cm in diameter, It protrudes from the wall of the ovary just before
ovulation.
Inside the developing follicle, the oocyte begins its first meiotic division. There is no need
for more than one egg cell, so the second set of chromosomes formed at meiosis I is
discarded, passing into a small cell ( with very little cytoplasm) known as the first polar
body. This appears to have no function, but it often completes the meiotic division,
producing two similar cells; both later break down. After meiosis I, the egg cell is known
as a secondary oocyte. It then begins the second meiotic division but gets no further than
metaphase. The division is completed only if the egg cell is penetrated by a sperm.
When penetration of the egg cell occurs, the meiosis II is completed and the egg cell
become the mature ovum. This produces another spare set of chromosomes, the second
polar body, a cell that also degenerates.