How does karyogamy differ from plasmogamy?

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Detailed Solution

Plasmogamy and karyogamy are two sequential stages of fertilization in fungi, each with distinct roles.

Plasmogamy

Definition: The first stage of fertilization where the cytoplasms of two parent cells merge.
What happens: The cytoplasm of the two cells fuses, bringing their nuclei close together, but the nuclei do not fuse yet.
Result: Formation of a dikaryotic cell (n+n), containing two separate haploid nuclei.
Timing: Occurs first. In some fungi, the dikaryotic stage can persist for a long period before karyogamy occurs.

Karyogamy

Definition: The second stage of fertilization, involving the fusion of the two nuclei.
What happens: The haploid nuclei brought together during plasmogamy fuse to form a single diploid nucleus.
Result: A diploid zygote (2n) is formed, completing fertilization and preparing for meiosis.
Timing: Occurs after plasmogamy.

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