spermatocyte

[spur-mat-uh-sahyt, spur-muh-tuh-]

noun

Cell Biology.

1. a male germ cell primary spermatocyte that gives rise by meiosis to a pair of haploid cells secondary spermatocytes that give rise in turn to spermatids.

spermatocyte

/ ˈspɜːmətəʊˌsaɪt /

noun

1. zoology an immature male germ cell, developed from a spermatogonium, that gives rise, by meiosis, to four spermatids

2. botany a male germ cell that develops into an antherozoid

spermatocyte

1. A diploid cell that undergoes meiosis to form four spermatids, cells which then develop into sperm.

2. See more at spermatogenesis

Other Word Forms

• spermatocytal adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of spermatocyte¹

First recorded in 1885–90; spermato- + -cyte

Example Sentences

As a consequence of axis separation, the sister chromatids of spermatocyte sex chromosomes are farther apart than are those of other chromosomes.

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In each primary spermatocyte the pairing of the chromosomes already alluded to occurs as indicated in Fig. 9b, p.

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First spermatocyte, daughter plates containing 18 and 19 chromosomes, respectively.

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Figure 223 is the equatorial plate of the first maturation division of the winter egg, showing the same form and size relations of the chromosomes as in the spermatocyte divisions.

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The primary spermatocyte arises by growth of one of the last generation of spermatogonia.

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