What happens to the three polar bodies produced during oogenesis?

During oogenesis, the process of female gamete (egg) formation, three polar bodies are produced alongside one functional egg cell. The primary purpose of the polar bodies is to ensure that the resulting egg cell retains the maximum amount of cytoplasm and organelles necessary for successful development post-fertilization.

The polar bodies arise from the unequal division of cytoplasm during meiosis. The first meiotic division results in one large cell (the secondary oocyte) and one small polar body. The secondary oocyte then undergoes the second meiotic division, again resulting in one large egg and another smaller polar body. This process effectively reduces the number of chromosomes in the polar bodies, making them haploid as well, but they are not capable of being fertilized or developing into an organism. Instead, these polar bodies degenerate and are absorbed by the body. This focus on producing a single functional egg cell ensures that the egg has sufficient resources to support early embryonic development if fertilization occurs.