Editing Germ cell (section)

{{For|the colloquial term for a disease causing agent, or other various meanings|Germ (disambiguation)}}{{Short description|Gamete-producing cell}}
{{More citations needed|date=December 2023}}
{{Sex (biology) sidebar}}
A '''germ cell''' is any cell that gives rise to the [[gamete]]s of an organism that [[sexual reproduction|reproduces sexually]]. In many animals, the germ cells originate in the [[primitive streak]] and migrate via the [[Gut (zoology)|gut]] of an [[embryo]] to the developing [[gonads]]. There, they undergo [[meiosis]], followed by [[cellular differentiation]] into mature gametes, either [[egg cell|eggs]] or [[sperm]]. Unlike animals, [[plant reproductive morphology|plant]]s do not have germ cells designated in early development. Instead, germ cells can arise from [[somatic cell]]s in the adult, such as the floral [[meristem]] of [[flowering plant]]s.<ref>{{cite book|title=Molecular biology of the cell|url=https://archive.org/details/molecularbiolog000wils|url-access=registration| vauthors = Alberts B, Johnson A, Lewis J, Raff Mm Roberts K, Walter P | publisher = New York, Garland Science, 1463 p|year=2002|isbn=9780815335771}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|title=Developmental biology| vauthors = Twyman RM| publisher = Oxford, Bios Scientific Publishers, 451p|year=2001}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal | vauthors = Cinalli RM, Rangan P, Lehmann R | title = Germ cells are forever | journal = Cell | volume = 132 | issue = 4 | pages = 559–562 | date = February 2008 | pmid = 18295574 | doi = 10.1016/j.cell.2008.02.003 | s2cid = 15768958 | doi-access = free }}</ref>