DEVBIOL

LECTURE 2: GAMETOGENESIS
Gliceria B. Ramos| 1st TERM | A.Y. 2022-2023

OUTLINE 2. Multiplication of germ cells in the gonads (mitosis)

I. A IV. B
3. Reduction in chromosomes number by half (meiosis)
II. 4. Maturation and differentiation

GENERATION OF GERM CELLS AND MIGRATION TO

THE GONADS
● Arise outside the gonads
● Recognizable at the early stage of development
● Anuran amphibians
○ Easily identified germ cell
generation and maturation of sex cells ○ Closer to the vegetal pole before fertilization
GAMETOGENESIS ○ Midway between animal pole and vegetal
● “All life comes from an egg” pole (closer at the vegetal) during cleavage
● Oogenesis ○ At gastrula stage, it is found in the endoderm
○ In ovary layer before fertilization: close to vegetal
○ The generation and maturation of the oocyte cleavage: midway (closer to vegetal)
a recruited primordial follicle grows into a specialized gastrula: endoderm
● Folliculogenesis graafian follicle with the potential to ovulate its egg
○ In ovary into the oviduct or die by atresia.
primordial --> primary --> secondary --antral --> follicle of graaf
○ Increase in follicle layers
● Spermatogenesis
○ In the seminiferous tubules
● Gametogenesis
○ Series of changes and processes
■ From primordial germ cells →
primordial follicles → specialized
sex cells ● Amniotes (birds, reptiles, mammals)
○ Primordial germ cells ○ Different from anurans
■ Collectively known as germplasm ○ Primordial germ cells (PGCs) are identified
■ Specialized generative cells in the yolk sac endoderm
● No obvious germplasm in ○ PGCs are large and marked by their high
mammals, unlike with content of alkaline phosphatase
other animals ○ PGCs in humans are recognizable at 24 day
(3 weeks) post fertilization in the yolk sac
endoderm
● Hannel & Eddy (1986) - In the mouse:
○ PGCs originally reside in the epiblast of
gastrula
● Ginsburg (1990)
○ Localized the region in the extra embryonic
mesoderm posterior to the primitive streak
maternal-fetal protection
in a 7.25th embryo
● A blastocyst has ICM (inner cell mass) and
trophectoderm for mammals
○ ICM will split to become the epiblast (forms
embryo proper) and hypoblast
● Amnion
○ Extra embryonic membrane closest to the
GAMETOGENESIS OVERVIEW developing embryo
● Gonial stage → growth differentiation → primary sex ● Yolk sac (yellow)
cell (spermatocyte and oocyte) → Secondary sex cell ● Allantois (yellow) bubble form looks like the umbilical cord
→ Spermatids and oocyte ○ Outpocketing of the hindgut
○ Primary sex cell ● Chorion
■ Undergo Meiosis I ● In humans:
○ Secondary sex cell ○ By 3rd week (24th day), the PGCs wander in
■ Undergo Meiosis II an amoeboid manner
○ oogenesis* ○ The epiblast → embryo proper → 3 primary
■ Polar body formation germ cell layers
■ Only one ovum from one oogonium ○ PGCs are thought to come from the primary
is formed ectoderm → yolk sac wall → allantois
○ Spermatogenesis
■ 4 spermatozoa are produced from 1
spermatogonia imagine a balut:

vitellus: yellow part

duck: embryo
allantois: nerves
amnion: protective layer of embryo
albumen: egg white
chorion: protective layer of yolk

epiblast
albumen
hypoblast
Secondary oocyte:
unequal division of the
trophectoderm: gives rise to the extra embryonic membranes
primary oocyte
(amnion, yolk sac, allantois, chorion) / placenta

epiblast (primitive) --> go down to the yolk sac (EE)

■
■ More growth, less differentiation to
primary spermatocytes

PHASES OF GAMETOGENESIS
1. Generation of germ cells and migration to the gonads

1
 markers (Oct-4 etc.) →
developmental pathway to
become sex cells

*hindgut wall after allantois, before dorsal mesentery

*PGCs are now extra embryonal in the yolk sac wall

- Why do they need to be extra embryonal?
** PGCs migrate from extraembryonic mesoderm of allantois
→ embryo proper
PGCs: EEM of allantois --> embryo proper

● PGC Movement: yolk sac endoderm → allantois →

hindgut wall → dorsal mesentery → left and right
genital ridges
● Genital ridge - future sex organs TERATOMA
● Rodent (as mammalian model)
○ Developmental of PGCs depend on signals
○ Radical expression of pluripotency markers
■ Oct-4+, NANOG, SOX2 genes
○ Studies strongly suggests:
■ BMP (bone morphogenetic
protein) signal factor
● Acts on the precursor
PGCs → PGCs increase
in number → migrate to
yolk sac → specified at
the allantois (get their
genetic markers here) →
start expressing the
pluripotency gene

2
*The picture shows oropharyngeal teratoma and coccygeal
teratoma
· In males, mitosis is continuous; during
embryonic development, after birth, and all
· The primordial germ cells undergo migration to
throughout life, it is continuous
the left and to the right genital ridges, but not all
· In females, mitosis stops early; mitosis can
of them reach their final destination; some are
proceed maybe up to the fifth month of
lost, and those that get astray develop as a
embryonic development in a female embryo, and
teratoma rapid proliferation in the 2nd and 5th month of development
by the time it is in its seventh month of embryonic
development, all of the oogonia have entered the
Teratoma
first meiotic division, which makes them primary
- It is a bizarre form of tumor
oocytes
- It looks like a mixture of different types of differentiating cells
· In females, before birth, mitosis already stops
- Are fatal; they undergo mitotic division
· In males, before birth, all throughout puberty, and
all throughout life, mitosis is continuous
PROLIFERATION OF GERM CELLS (MITOSIS)
(2nd phase) CHANGES IN HUMAN GERM CELL NUMBER

2. Proliferation of germ cells (mitosis)

· Graph shows the generation of sex cells

· Peak = falls approximately around the fifth
· Proliferation of germ cells is by ordinary mitotic month of embryonic development in humans
division where millions of germ cells are generated.
· From their journey from the yolk sac, to the · Shortly before birth or around the seventh month
allantois, to the hindgut, and to the dorsal of pregnancy, all the oogonia has already
mesentery (all throughout their journey), the become the primary oocytes at the first meiotic
primordial germ cells undergo continuous mitotic stage; at birth, all the female mammal has in her
division ovaries are primary oocytes (that’s why we will
be not asked to search for the oogonia in a cat
Female embryo: ovary, because at the time of birth, there are no
- Primordial germ cells will divide to form the more oogonia in the mammalian ovary)
oogonia · Mitosis stops early in oogenesis
· In females: There are about 7 million germ cells
Male embryo: at the peak; at birth (7th month of embryonic
- Primordial germ cells will divide to form the development), there will be around 2 million
spermatogonia primary oocytes; of these 2 million, only around
400,000 oocytes will attain maturity upon
Oogonia and spermatogonia puberty or will progress up to puberty stage; of
- Mitotically active sex cells these 400,000 oocytes, only about 400 to 500
oocytes get to complete maturation (one per
month matures); the 400 to 500 oocytes
HUMAN MALE vs FEMALE EXAMPLE: corresponds to the oocytes that mature during
the reproductive age (between the onset of
Shows spermatogenesis vs. oogenesis: puberty and start of menopause); natural
generation
- For example: the onset of puberty is 13 years old
and the onset of menopause is 48, so the
reproductive years would be 35 years;
35x12months = 420 months; so one oocyte will
mature every month, which corresponds to 420
oocytes (which is within the range)

REDUCTION IN CHROMOSOME NUMBER BY

HALF (MEIOSIS)

3. Reduction in chromosome number by half (meiosis)

3
FEMALE
- Meiosis starts early; during the 7th month of
embryonic development, the primary oocyte have
entered the first phase of meiosis; before birth
- Gets arrest: meiotic arrest
- Meiosis starts at puberty; meiosis resumes on the
onset of puberty 7th Month: Meiosis starts
Meiotic Arrest
MALE Puberty: Meiosis resumes
- Meiosis is uninterrupted, continuous, and unlimited
- Meiosis is completed in waves

● Nondisjunction at first meiotic division

○ No separation of chromosomes at meiosis I
○ 2 cells w/ 24 chromosomes, 2 cells w/ only
22 chromosomes
● Nondisjunction at second meiotic division
● *abnormalities most commonly occur at chromosome
13, 15, 18, 21
○ Trisomy 18
○ Trisomy 21 - Down’s syndrome
■ Trisomy
■ Translocated
■ mosaic

Meiosis I : Reductional Equation (by half)

● Prophase I 23 maternal chromosomes
○ Leptotene 23 paternal chromosomes
■ Thin, thread-like chromosomes
■ Bouquet stage
■ 23 pairs of chromosomes
○ Zygotene aka. synaptine stage (pairing)
■ Pairing of homologs (synapsis)
■ Thickening of chromosomes
○ Pachytene
■ Exchange of genetic material
■ Pairing is complete
■ Thick, short chromosomes
○ Diplotene ●
■ Physical evidence of cross over
(chiasma) X-shape structure formation (cross-over)
○ Diakinesis gaining new genetic material chiasmata

■ Nuclear membrane dissociates

■ Mitotic spindle attaches
● Metaphase I Align at the equatorial plate
○ Alignment of homologous chromosomes
○ Random distribution
● Anaphase I
○ Homologues separate
● Telophase I 2 Haploid daughter cells
● Meiosis II
○ Equational division
○ Like mitosis
○ Creates genetically dissimilar cells

● Klinefelter syndrome
○ 47 XXY sex chromosome
○ Sex-linked, nondisjunction
○ Affects only males
○ Manifests in small testes and penis

4
 DISTINCT FEATURES OF OOGENESIS
● Oocytes undergo arrested stages
● Unequal cytoplasmic division
● Only one functional oocyte produced per cycle
○ Polar bodies produced

MAMMALIAN OOGENESIS AS A REFERENCE POINT

● PGCs
● Oogonia
○ Mitotically active sex cells
○ Growth
● primary oocytes
○ Meiosis I (Prophase I)
■ Leptotene
■ Zygotene
■ Pachytene
■ Diplotene SUMMARY OF MAJOR EVENTS IN HUMAN
● 1st meiotic arrest OOGENESIS AND FOLLICULAR DEVELOPMENT
○ Lifted off at
puberty
● Cellular and molecular
changes take place
● Chromosomes become
relaxed and extended,
portions are exposed and
prone to damage
● Longer it is in arrest →
more prone to
chromosomal damage
● Reason why older women
are said to have a greater
chance to give birth to
babies with birth defects
■ Diakinesis
○ Metaphase I
○ Anaphase I
○ Telophase I
● Secondary oocyte (n) + 1st Polar body formed
○ Unequal cytoplasmic division
○ Secondary oocyte
■ Released one by one per month
from ovary through ovulation
■ Enter meiosis II
● Metaphase II - 2nd meiotic
arrest
○ Lifted off at
fertilization
● Anaphase II + Telophase II
○ 1st polar body
■ Can opt to divide again – leading to ● Oogonium (fetal period)
an additional polar body ○ No follicle
■ Usually degenerates ○ Undergo mitosis
● Mature oocyte + 2nd polar body ● Primary oocyte
○ Primordial follicle (before birth)
■ A few of the follicle cells are around
(incomplete layer)
○ primary follicle (after birth)
■ Increase in oocyte size
■ Follicle cells increase in number (1
complete layer)
■ Arrested in diplotene stage of
Prophase I
■ Zona pellucida is seen
○ secondary follicle (after puberty)
■ Much more follicle cells (granulosa
cells)
■ 2-3 layers of follicle cells

5
 ■ Initial appearance of cavity in follicle
layer – distinct feature of this stage
● Primary* oocyte + polar body I
○ Tertiary follicle (Graafian follicle)
■ Bigger cavity (antrum)
● Filled with antrum liquid
■ Granulosa cells will differentiate into
theca interna and theca externa
■ Cumulus oophorus surrounds the
oocyte
● Secondary oocyte
○ The one released from ovary during
ovulation
■ Liquid of the oocyte will be released
■ Crumpling → corpus luteum →
degenerates to become a part of
the ovary
Figure: Graafian Follicles

TOPIC W/O ADDTNL INFO

SUBTOPIC
● A
○ B
■ C

SUBSUBTOPIC
● A
○ B
■ C

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