spermatocyte

American  

[spur-mat-uh-sahyt, spur-muh-tuh-] / spɜrˈmæt əˌsaɪt, ˈspɜr mə tə- /

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.

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spermatocyte British  

/ 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

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spermatocyte Scientific  

/ spər-măt′ə-sīt′ /

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

2. See more at spermatogenesis

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Other Word Forms

• spermatocytal adjective

Etymology

Origin of spermatocyte

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

Example Sentences

Meiosis starts with a cell called a primary spermatocyte.

From Textbooks • Jun. 9, 2022

As in mitosis, DNA is replicated in a primary spermatocyte, before it undergoes a cell division called meiosis I. During meiosis I each of the 23 pairs of chromosomes separates.

From Textbooks • Jun. 19, 2013

One of these cells remains a spermatogonium, and the other becomes a primary spermatocyte, the next stage in the process of spermatogenesis.

From Textbooks • Jun. 19, 2013

Each secondary spermatocyte divides after meiosis II to produce two cells called spermatids.

From Textbooks • Apr. 25, 2013

An equatorial plate of the first division is shown in figure 148, and a pair of corresponding plates of the second spermatocyte in figure 149.

From Studies in Spermatogenesis Part II by Stevens, Nettie Maria