Legends of The Sperm and Egg
Legends of The Sperm and Egg
Legends of The Sperm and Egg
1. The female reproductive tract is a passive conduit through which the sperm race.
2. The first sperm to reach the egg fertilizes it.
3. The egg is the passive recipient of the sperm.
4. All important phenotypic characters/traits are determined at fertilization. (e.g., the way you
walk, the way you think, your intelligence, your behaviors)
Extra notes:
Does the embryo dock on to the uterus? Or does the embryo invade the uterus? Or does it
implant into the uterus?
Gametes
Note:
CAPACITATION
1. When sperm was introduced immediately into the oviduct upon ovulation
a. the sperm would meet the eggs, but most sperm could not bind to the eggs.
2. If they added the sperm a few hours before the egg was ovulated
a. the sperm were capable of binding to the egg and fertilizing it.
SPERM’S CAPACITY TO PENETRATE EGG
This means that in vitro fertilization in humans could not be done yet.
o If you just add sperm to eggs, nothing happens.
CAPACITATION
EFFECTS OF CAPACITATION
Before capacitation
o the membrane of the sperm is rigid, and won't
fuse with the egg cell membrane.
After capacitation
o the membrane is more fluid, and can fuse.
It's thought that these proteins eventually phosphorylate the proteins that are involved in
sperm motility, in those proteins allowing the sperm to undergo the acrosome reaction and in
other sperm proteins involved in self-fusion.
o We do not know the identity of these proteins.
So the first sperm to reach the egg are not usually capable of binding to or fertilizing the egg.
o The sperm have to be modified by the cells of the female reproductive tract.
The female body may also use capacitation as a way of prolonging the duration over which
mature, functional sperm can enter the area where the egg is to be found.
FACTS:
FACTS:
FACTS:
MYTH 4: All important phenotypic characters/traits are determined at fertilization. (e.g., the way you
walk, the way you think, your intelligence, your behaviors)
FACTS:
FACTS: