Egg cells start very early. Before a baby girl is born, oogonia in her growing ovaries split again and again to make lots of future egg cells.
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The ovaries are two small body parts in females. They hold the cells that can become egg cells.
Oogonia are small, round cells with a big nucleus. They are found in the ovaries of a baby girl while she is still growing before birth.
Oogonia finish their job before birth. A baby girl is born with all the early egg cells she will ever have!
Oogonia split again and again. Each split makes two cells, so the number grows fast. Soon there are millions.
Then they stop splitting and change into the next step, called primary oocytes. These are the cells that can one day become egg cells.
An egg cell carries half of the instructions (DNA) needed to make a baby.
Press Split on the 3D model and watch the cells make more of themselves.