Editing Reproduction (section)

===Gametogenesis===

Animals, including mammals, produce gametes (sperm and egg) by means of  [[Origin and function of meiosis|meiosis]] in gonads (testicles in males and ovaries in females).  Sperm are produced by  [[spermatogenesis]] and eggs are produced by [[oogenesis]].  During gametogenesis in mammals numerous genes encoding proteins that participate in DNA repair mechanisms exhibit enhanced or specialized expression.<ref name="pmid11226027">{{cite journal |vauthors=Baarends WM, van der Laan R, Grootegoed JA |title=DNA repair mechanisms and gametogenesis |journal=Reproduction |volume=121 |issue=1 |pages=31–9 |year=2001 |pmid=11226027 |doi= 10.1530/reprod/121.1.31|doi-access=free |hdl=1765/9599 |hdl-access=free }}</ref>  Male [[germ cell]]s produced in the testes of animals are capable of special [[DNA repair]] processes that function during meiosis to repair DNA damages and to maintain the integrity of the [[genome]]s that are to be passed on to progeny.<ref name = Garcia-Rodriguez2018>{{cite journal |vauthors=García-Rodríguez A, Gosálvez J, Agarwal A, Roy R, Johnston S |title=DNA Damage and Repair in Human Reproductive Cells |journal=Int J Mol Sci |volume=20 |issue=1 |date=December 2018 |page=31 |pmid=30577615 |doi=10.3390/ijms20010031 |doi-access=free |pmc=6337641 |url=}}</ref>  Such DNA repair processes include [[homologous recombination]]al repair as well as [[non-homologous end joining]].<ref name = Garcia-Rodriguez2018/>  [[Oocyte]]s located in the [[folliculogenesis|primordial follicle]] of the ovary are in a non-growing [[prophase]] arrested state, but are able to undergo highly efficient [[homologous recombination]]al repair of [[DNA damage (naturally occurring)|DNA damages]] including double-strand breaks.<ref name = Stringer2020>{{cite journal |vauthors=Stringer JM, Winship A, Zerafa N, Wakefield M, Hutt K |title=Oocytes can efficiently repair DNA double-strand breaks to restore genetic integrity and protect offspring health |journal=Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A |volume=117 |issue=21 |pages=11513–11522 |date=May 2020 |pmid=32381741 |pmc=7260990 |doi=10.1073/pnas.2001124117 |doi-access=free |bibcode=2020PNAS..11711513S |url=}}</ref>  These repair processes allow the integrity of the [[genome]] to be maintained and offspring health to be protected.<ref name = Stringer2020/>