WormBase Tree Display for WBProcess: WBbiopr:00000069
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| WBbiopr:00000069 | Public_name | Spermatogenesis | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Summary | Spermatogenesis is the process of generating functional sperm from an undifferentiated germ cell. In C. elegans, spermatogenesis occurs in both males and hermaphrodites. In both sexes, the germ line initiates spermatogenesis during the L4 larval stage. In the male, spermatogenesis continues throughout adulthood. In the hermaphrodite, however, during the adult stage the germ line ceases spermatogenesis and switches to oogenesis. Sperm made by the hermaphrodite are stored and used for self-fertilization of the hermaphrodite's oocytes. Hermaphrodite sperm differ from male sperm in size with male spermatids being much larger than those of the hermaphrodite. In addition, spermiogenesis is regulated by sex-specific mechanisms. Unlike other sperm-bearing organisms, C. elegans and other nematodes spermatozoa move by a unique crawling mechanism using a single pseudopod. The major sperm protein (MSP), instead of actin, is the main cytoskeletal fiber used in the pseudopod. | ||
| Related_topic | Specialisation_of | WBbiopr:00000067 | |
| Involved_entity (2) | |||
| Associated_with | GO_term | GO:0007283 | |
| Reference | WBPaper00004905 | ||
| WBPaper00027300 | |||
| WBPaper00045099 | |||
| WBPaper00045521 |
