microgameten.
/ˈmʌɪkrə(ʊ)ˌɡamiːt/, /ˈmʌɪkrə(ʊ)ɡaˌmiːt/, U.S. /ˌmaɪkroʊˈɡæmit/, /ˌmaɪkroʊɡəˈmit/ Biology.
The smaller (usually male) gamete in an organism that produces gametes of two different sizes.
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the world > life > biology > biological processes > procreation or reproduction > reproductive substances or cells > [noun] > gametes
gamete1878
zoogamete1879
planogamete1880
macrogamete1888
microgamete1888
isogamete1891
megagamete1891
oogamete1891
progamete1892
heterogamete1897
ovum1900
non-crossover1914
merogamete1925
hologamete1926
anisogamete-
1888 Jrnl. Royal Microsc. Soc. 753 The microgamete is only provided with a single micronucleus; it attaches itself to the macrogamete by fixing itself at first to the stalk... As soon as it is thus fixed its micronucleus divides by karyomitosis.
1900 Amer. Naturalist 34 766 A smaller microgametocyte attaches itself to a larger macrogamete and undergoes two divisions, producing four microgametes.
1921 Glasgow Herald 27 Jan. 6 An egg fertilised by the one type of micro-gamete developed into a male individual, & one fertilised by the other type developed into a female.
1944 R. Matheson Entomol. for Introd. Courses xxii. 538 The male gametocyte (the microgametocyte) also develops and produces male gametes, minute, elongate microgametes.
1977 T. I. Storer et al. Elements Zool. (ed. 4) xv. 262/2 The male gametocyte divides into six to eight sperm-like microgametes.
1994 Appl. Parasitol. 35 99 Ultrastructural studies..revealed that..microgametes had one flagellum attached to the surface of the microgamete.
This entry has been updated (OED Third Edition, December 2001; most recently modified version published online March 2022).
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n.1888