Heterogamy (Gr. Heteros - Other, Gamos - Marriage)

Heterogamy

Heterogamy (from the Greek words “heteros” - other and “gamos” - marriage) is a type of sexual reproduction in which the fusion of two dissimilar sex cells, differing in size and structure, occurs.

A classic example of heterogamy is fertilization in animals, when a large, immobile female reproductive cell (ovum) and a small, mobile male reproductive cell (sperm) unite. The egg contains a supply of nutrients and hereditary material necessary for the development of the embryo. The sperm carries only genetic information and serves to fertilize the egg.

When gametes fuse, their nuclei fuse to form a single diploid zygote nucleus, which contains the full set of chromosomes inherited from both parents. Thus, fertilization occurs and the development of a new organism begins.

Heterogamy is characteristic of most animals, as well as some plants and fungi. This is the most common method of sexual reproduction in nature, ensuring the genetic diversity of offspring and the adaptability of species to changing environmental conditions.