MATURATION OF GAMETES 



125 



BASEMENT MEM 

 OF SE MINI FE R 

 TUBULE 



SPERM ATOGONIUM 



INTERSTITIAL CELLS 



Fig. 65. Semidiagrammatic representation of a part of the seminiferous tubule of the 



cat testis. 



male and female germ cells. On the other hand, the word spermatocyte is 

 given to the developing male gamete during the period of chromosome dimi- 

 nution, whereas the word oocyte is applied to the female gamete in the same 

 period. When, however, the period of chromosome diminution is completed 

 and the chromosome number is reduced to the haploid condition, the devel- 

 oping male gamete is called a spermatid while the female gamete is referred 

 to as an ootid or an egg. {Note: the word egg is applied often to the female 

 gamete during the various stages of the oocyte condition as well as after the 

 maturation divisions have been accomplished.) 



The reduction of chromatin material is not the only effect which the meiotic 

 process has upon the chromatin material, or possibly upon the developing 

 cytosomal structures as well. This fact will become evident during the descrip- 

 tions below concerning the meiotic procedures. 



Another prominent feature of the gametes during the meiocyte period is 

 their growth or increase in size. This growth occurs during the first part of the 

 meiotic process when the nucleus is in the prophase condition and it involves 

 both nucleus and cytoplasm. The growth phenomena are much more pro- 

 nounced in the oocyte than in the spermatocyte. Due to this feature of growth, 

 the oocyte and spermatocyte also are regarded as auxocytes, that is growing 

 cells, a name introduced by Lee, 1897. The words meiocyte and auxocyte 

 thus refer to two different aspects of the development of the oocyte and the 

 spermatocyte. 



