Cells capable of contributing genetic material to subsequent generations (e.g., eggs and sperm).
Cell lineage that, after a number of divisions and meiosis, leads to the production of the gametes (sperm or ova). Mutations in the germline can be passed on to the offspring.
The genetic material which is passed down through the gametes before it is modified by somatic recombination or maturation.
Pertaining to the cells from which gametes are derived. When referring to species, the cells of the germ line, unlike somatic cells, bridge the gaps between generations.
Genetic material that is passed down through the gametes (sperm and egg).
The cells in an organism that have the potential to form gametes (sperm and eggs).
Cell-sequence of the individual development: from the fertilized egg cell to the developing organism. Also frequently used as a description for the cells which produce sperms and egg cells.
A sequence of cells, each descended from earlier cells in the lineage, which will develop into new sperm and egg cells for the subsequent generation.
The genetic material carried by ova and sperm. The germ line contains the genes that parents transmit to their offspring.
Inherited material that comes from the eggs or sperm and is passed on to offspring.
Refers to genes in germ cells as opposed to somatic cells, that is, genes in their unrearranged state rather than those rearranged for production of a protein.
A group of cells that contain the organism's genome and give rise to the reproductive cells.
The continuation of a set of genetic information from one generation to the next.
The cell lineage in a multitissued eukaryote from which the gametes derive.
Germ line refers to the body's reproductive cells, either the egg or the sperm.
