Somatogamy

The somatogamy ( ancient Greek σῶμα Sōma "body", γάμος Gamos "Marriage, Wedding") is in the sexual reproduction a form of fertilization , in which no specialized gametes (sex cells) are formed, but normal cells merge. The normal case with gamete formation, however, is called gametogamy .

Somatogamy occurs in mushrooms , namely in stand mushrooms and in some sac mushrooms , which also include yeasts such as baker's yeast . The fusing cells can come from different individuals or from the same individual ( self-fertilization ). After the fusion of the cells ( plasmogamy ), the cell nuclei ( karyogamy ) do not fuse, as is the case with other living beings, but a more or less long dikaryophase follows , in which each cell contains two nuclei, i.e. is dikaryotic.

Web links

• Lexicon of Biology : Somatogamy . Spectrum, Heidelberg 1999.