Oogamy

Part of speech: noun

Pronunciation: /oʊˈɒɡəmi/

Definitions

1. A reproductive process characterized by the union of a large, immobile female gamete and a small, motile male gamete occurs in this form of sexual reproduction
2. This form of reproduction involves the fusion of a sizable, non-moving female gamete and a tiny, active male gamete during the fertilization process
3. The reproductive method consists of the merging of a large, stationary female gamete with a small, mobile male gamete in the context of sexual reproduction

Etymology: Oogamy is built from two Greek elements. The first, "oo-", comes from "ōion," meaning "egg," and the second, "-gamy," comes from "gamos," meaning "marriage" or "union." Put together, the word describes a form of sexual reproduction in which the two fusing gametes differ in size: a large, nutrient-rich egg and a small, mobile sperm. The "-gamy" ending is a productive suffix in biology, which is why it appears in terms such as "isogamy," where the gametes are the same size, and "anisogamy," where they differ. Oogamy is the most extreme form of that difference. The "oo-" element is a classical combining form, so the word was assembled from Greek parts rather than inherited from ancient usage, and it reflects the technical vocabulary that biologists built to describe reproduction.