micrôsporócito

A micrósporócito is a diploid cell found in the anthers of seed plants. It is the precursor cell that undergoes meiosis to produce microspores. Microspores, in turn, develop into pollen grains, which are the male gametophytes of these plants. The process of micrósporócito division into microspores is called microsporogenesis.

Within the anther wall, specialized tissues surround the pollen sacs (microsporangia). The micrósporócitos originate from archesporial cells within these pollen sacs. Each micrósporócito is typically spherical and possesses a full complement of chromosomes (2n). When conditions are favorable, the micrósporócito initiates meiosis.

Meiosis is a type of cell division that reduces the chromosome number by half. In a micrósporócito, meiosis I separates homologous chromosomes, resulting in two haploid (n) cells. Meiosis II then separates the sister chromatids of each chromosome, ultimately yielding four haploid microspores. These microspores are often initially arranged in a tetrad, a cluster of four cells, before separating.

The development of pollen grains from microspores involves further mitotic divisions and differentiation. The micrósporócito's role is therefore crucial in initiating the male reproductive lineage of flowering plants and gymnosperms. Its genetic material is directly passed down, albeit halved, to the future gametes contained within the pollen.