Final answer:
The four cells that result from an oocyte during oogenesis are one secondary oocyte and three polar bodies. Polar bodies generally degrade, while the secondary oocyte may become a fertilized egg if sperm penetration occurs.
Step-by-step explanation:
The four cells produced from an oocyte are:
The secondary oocyte: Most of the cellular material and organelles go to this cell.
The polar body: Only one set of chromosomes and a small amount of cytoplasm go to this cell, and it usually dies.
The second polar body: Produced if the secondary oocyte is fertilized and continues through meiosis II.
The fertilized egg: It contains all 46 chromosomes of a human being, half of them coming from the sperm.
The four cells produced from an oocyte during the process of oogenesis are typically one large secondary oocyte and three smaller cells called polar bodies.
The primary oocyte divides unequally to generate these cells. The larger secondary oocyte has the potential to be fertilized and develop into a mature ovum upon fertilization.
In contrast, the polar bodies are usually not functional and degrade over time.
This unequal division ensures that the secondary oocyte retains the majority of the cytoplasm and organelles, which is crucial for supporting early development should fertilization occur.
During adolescence, hormonal changes promote the completion of the first meiotic division and produce the secondary oocyte and a first polar body. If fertilization happens, the secondary oocyte completes meiosis II, resulting in another polar body and the fertilized egg containing all 46 chromosomes of a human being, with half of those originating from the sperm and half from the oocyte.