Zygote
Diploid eukaryotic cell formed by fertilization between two gametes
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Key Takeaways
- A zygote ( ; from Ancient Greek ζυγωτός (zygōtós) ' joined, yoked ' , from ζυγοῦν (zygoun) ' to join, to yoke ' ) is a eukaryotic cell formed by a fertilization event between two gametes.
- The sexual fusion of haploid cells is called karyogamy, the result of which is the formation of a diploid cell called the zygote (or zygospore in specific cases).
- In multicellular organisms The zygote is the earliest developmental stage.
- The formation of a totipotent zygote with the potential to produce a whole organism depends on epigenetic reprogramming.
- In the paternal genome of the mouse, demethylation of DNA, particularly at sites of methylated cytosines, is likely a key process in establishing totipotency.
A zygote ( ; from Ancient Greek ζυγωτός (zygōtós) 'joined, yoked', from ζυγοῦν (zygoun) 'to join, to yoke') is a eukaryotic cell formed by a fertilization event between two gametes.
The zygote's genome is a combination of the DNA in each gamete, and contains all of the genetic information of a new individual organism.
The sexual fusion of haploid cells is called karyogamy, the result of which is the formation of a diploid cell called the zygote (or zygospore in specific cases).
History
German zoologists Oscar and Richard Hertwig made some of the first discoveries on animal zygote formation in the late 19th century.
In multicellular organisms
The zygote is the earliest developmental stage. In humans and most other anisogamous organisms, a zygote is formed when an egg cell and sperm cell come together to create a new unique organism.
The formation of a totipotent zygote with the potential to produce a whole organism depends on epigenetic reprogramming. DNA demethylation of the paternal genome in the zygote appears to be an important part of epigenetic reprogramming. In the paternal genome of the mouse, demethylation of DNA, particularly at sites of methylated cytosines, is likely a key process in establishing totipotency. Demethylation involves the processes of base excision repair and possibly other DNA-repair–based mechanisms.
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