gametogony

Gametogony refers to the production and maturation of gametes within the life cycles of certain organisms, particularly protozoa and intra-host parasites. In broader biology, the term is sometimes treated as synonymous with gametogenesis—the generation of haploid gametes from germ cells—but in many texts it is used to designate the sexual phase of organisms with simple life cycles, in which gametes are formed and then fuse during fertilization.

In the malaria parasite Plasmodium, gametogony occurs after a mosquito ingests blood containing gametocytes. Microgametocytes rapidly undergo nuclear divisions and exflagellation to produce multiple motile microgametes, while a macrogametocyte becomes a single macrogamete. Fertilization between micro- and macro-gametes yields a zygote, which develops into an ookinete. The ookinete traverses the midgut epithelium and forms an oocyst, from which sporozoites emerge, continuing the life cycle.

Across different groups, gametogony may describe similar processes of gamete formation within hosts or vectors. In multicellular animals, the term gametogenesis is more common, whereas at the level of protists and some parasites, gametogony is widely used to describe the sexual cycle in which gametes are produced and fertilization occurs.

Because usage varies, the term is best interpreted by context with related terms such as fertilization and sporogony.