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Polar body emission
Author(s) -
Liu X. Johné
Publication year - 2012
Publication title -
cytoskeleton
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.95
H-Index - 86
eISSN - 1949-3592
pISSN - 1949-3584
DOI - 10.1002/cm.21041
Subject(s) - biology , meiosis , sister chromatids , polar body , mitosis , microbiology and biotechnology , cell division , ploidy , oocyte , centrosome , spindle apparatus , meiosis ii , centriole , genetics , spindle pole body , cell , cell cycle , embryo , chromosome , gene
Generation of a haploid female germ cell, the egg, consists of two rounds of asymmetric cell division (meiosis I and meiosis II), yielding two diminutive and nonviable polar bodies and a large haploid egg. Animal eggs are also unique in the lack of centrioles and therefore form meiotic spindles without the pre‐existence of the two dominant microtubule organizing centers (centrosomes) found in mitosis. Meiotic spindle assembly is further complicated by the unique requirement of sister chromatid mono‐oriented in meiosis I. Nonetheless, the eggs appear to adopt many of the same proteins and mechanisms described in mitosis, with necessary modifications to accommodate their special needs. Unraveling these special modifications will not only help understanding animal reproduction, but should also enhance our understanding of cell division in general. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc