Question

The polar body is
A) Another name for an egg cell
B) A precursor cell that becomes an egg cell
C) Nonfunctional cell rudiment made at the same time as an egg cell
D) The cell produced when fertilization occurs

Answer 1

A cell separates from the oocyte during meiosis resultant into the polar body. Polar bodies do not contribute to the future generation.

Complete answer:
The polar body is a small cytoplasmic exclusion body formed to enclose the excess DNA formed during the oocyte (egg) meiosis. The breakdown of the germinal vesicle indicates a resumption of meiosis and the extrusion of the polar body indicates completion of the meiotic division in human oocytes.
The polar body is the consequent structure that an egg produced after meiosis. It results in two cells. One cell has the majority of cytoplasm while the other cell is small. The smaller cell is called the polar body which generally disintegrates. So, a polar body is a small haploid cell that is formed as an egg cell during oogenesis, but generally does not have the ability to be fertilized.

Thus, the correct option is (C) Nonfunctional cell rudiment made at the same time as an egg cell.

Note: There are 2 polar bodies produced from the oocyte present in the zygote, the number depends upon whether polar body 1st (the first polar body formed during meiosis 1) divides during meiosis 2nd . This exclusion body carries the excess DNA from the reductive division (the second and third polar bodies are formed from meiosis 2 at fertilization). These polar bodies do not contribute to the future genetic complement of the embryo, zygote or fetus. The quality of a polar body like its morphology can be used to see the oocyte viability and also predict the fertilization rates.