germ cell

American  

noun

Biology.

1. the sexual reproductive cell at any stage from the primordial cell to the mature gamete.

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germ cell British  

noun

1. a sexual reproductive cell; gamete Compare somatic cell

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germ cell Scientific  

1. One of the diploid cells in the reproductive organs of a multicellular organism that undergo division and are the precursors of haploid gametes, such as a spermatogonium or oogonium.

2. See gamete

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Etymology

Origin of germ cell

First recorded in 1850–55

Example Sentences

These epigenetic changes impact crucial genes involved in hormone signaling and germ cell development, as well as regulation of the epigenetic landscape, suggesting that environmental exposure can have lasting and hereditary effects on gene regulation.

From Science Daily • Mar. 11, 2024

He revealed on his Instagram account that he had been diagnosed with stage 3 germ cell cancer in November 2021.

From Seattle Times • Oct. 31, 2022

One possible explanation is that the DNA repair response is different in germ cell meiotic M phase compared to mitotic M phase in cultured cells.

From Nature • Aug. 1, 2017

The fifth stage of germ cell formation—spermatozoa, or formed sperm—is the end result of this process, which occurs in the portion of the tubule nearest the lumen.

From Textbooks • Jun. 19, 2013

And what is true in this case, is true of the birth and growth of all animal life—all animal life develops from a single germ cell.

From A Series of Lessons in Gnani Yoga by Atkinson, William Walker