In this article we will discuss about the role of meiotic divisions in reduction of chromosomes. The somatic (body) cells in multicellular animals have, as a rule, a diploid or double number of chromosomes; that is, apart from some exceptions due to the presence of sex chromosomes, every kind of chromosome in the set is represented by a pair of [...]
The function of the spermatozoon, for which its whole organization is adapted, is to reach the egg and, by fusing with the egg, to cause the egg to start developing and to transmit to the developing embryo the paternal genes. In most cases this means that the spermatozoon must have a high degree of mobility, and in fact, the organization [...]
The development of the spermatozoa takes place in the male gonads, the testes. In vertebrates and insects, the testes are composite organs consisting of numerous seminiferous tubules, or seminiferous lobules, converging toward common ducts which lead the mature sperm to the exterior. Spermatogenesis is a continuous process, and various stages of development of the sperm may be observed in the [...]