Spermatocyte

Definition

A spermatocyte is a male germ cell involved in the process of spermatogenesis that goes through meiosis to produce haploid sperm cells. It develops from spermatogonia and further differentiates into either primary or secondary spermatocytes, depending on the stage of meiosis.

Related terms

Spermatogenesis:

The process by which male primordial germ cells undergo meiotic division to produce mature sperm cells.

Meiosis:

A type of cell division that reduces the chromosome number by half, resulting in the production of four haploid cells from one diploid cell; essential for sexual reproduction.

Spermatogonia:

The diploid stem cells located in the seminiferous tubules of the testes that divide mitotically to maintain their population and produce primary spermatocytes