oogonium

[ oh-uh-goh-nee-uhm ]

noun,plural o·o·go·ni·a [oh-uh-goh-nee-uh], /ˌoʊ əˈgoʊ ni ə/, o·o·go·ni·ums.Biology.
  1. one of the undifferentiated germ cells giving rise to oocytes.

  2. the one-celled female reproductive organ in certain thallophytes, usually a more or less spherical sac containing one or more eggs.

Origin of oogonium

1
From New Latin, dating back to 1865–70; see origin at oo-, -gonium

Other words from oogonium

  • o·o·go·ni·al, adjective

Words Nearby oogonium

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How to use oogonium in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for oogonium

oogonium

/ (ˌəʊəˈɡəʊnɪəm) /


nounplural -nia (-nɪə) or -niums
  1. an immature female germ cell forming oocytes by repeated divisions

  2. a female sex organ of some algae and fungi producing female gametes (oospheres)

Derived forms of oogonium

  • oogonial, adjective

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Scientific definitions for oogonium

oogonium

[ ō′ə-gōnē-əm ]


Plural oogonia oogoniums
  1. A female reproductive structure in certain algae and fungi. It is usually a rounded cell or sac containing one or more oospheres.

  2. A cell that arises from a primordial germ cell and differentiates into an oocyte in the ovary of female animals.

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