Lecture I

Fertilization:
Site.
Time.
Sperm conditioning.
Process of fertilization.
Results of fertilization.
Applied.

Fertilization
@ Fertilaziation is fusion between a single sperm
and an ovum to form a zygote.
@ Site: It occurs in ampulla (lateral 1/3) of uterine
tube.
@ Time: Within 24 hours from ovulation. Secondary
oocyte is viable for only 24 hours by that time, it
has just reached lateral 1/3 of Fallopian tube.
@ Duration: It lasts for 24 hours.

@ Fertilaziation is preceded by sperm conditioning (Where

sperms deposited in female genital tract must undergo two
changes before they can fertilize an ovum).
1) Capacitation of sperms:
# It occurs in uterus and uterine tube and takes 7 hours.
# Glycoprotein coat and seminal plasma proteins are removed from
cell membrane covering acrosomal cap of sperms, which
increases
activity of sperms.
2) Acrosome reaction of sperms:
# It occurs only in ampulla of uterine tube, only when capacitated
sperms come in contact with secondary oocyte, under influence of a
substance produced by corona radiata.
# Fusion occurs between outer acrosomal membrane and cell
membrane of corona radiate with relase of acrosomal enzymes.
# Multiple perforations develop in acrosome of sperms leading to
release of enzymes (acrosin, zonalysin, hyaluronidase) that
facilitate process of fertilization.
* Hyaluronidase Digestion of corona radiate.
* Acrosin and zonalysin penetration of zona pellucida.

Process of fertilization:
@ Penetration of corona radiata by many sperms with aid of
hyaluronidase.
@ Penetration of zona pellucida by a single sperm, followed
immediately by zonal reaction (zona block), which makes
zona pellucida impermeable to other sperms.
@ Penetration of vitelline membrane: Fusion of cell
membranes of sperm and secondary oocyte. Only head and
neck of sperm penetrate forming male pronucleus. Vitelline
membrane (now called fertilization membrane) becomes
impermeable to other sperms. This is called cortical reaction or
vitelline block. This is immediately followed by completion of
second meiotic division of secondary oocyte forming a
mature ovum and a second polar body.
@ Formation of male and female pronuclei:
* Nucleus of head of sperm separate and enlarge to form male
pronucleus.
* Nucleus of mature ovum forms female pronucleus.
@ Fusion of male and female pronuclei with loss of their
nuclear membranes to form a new cell called zygote.

Results of
fertilization:
A) In zygote:

# Secondary oocyte completes its second meiotic division, giving rise to a

mature ovum and second polar body.
# Restoration of diploid number of chromosomes (46).
# Initiation of cleavage of zygote, which is a series of rapid successive
mitotic divisions.
# Sex determination:
* Fertilization by X- bearing sperm will form XX zygote giving rise to a
female.
* Fertilization by Y- bearing sperm will form XY zygote giving rise to a
male.

B) In ovary:

# Ovulation stops due to feed back inhibition of pituitary gland by high

levels of oestrogen and progesterone produced by ovary.
# Corpus luteum enlarges and forms corpus luteum of pregnancy,
which remains active for first half of gestation.

C) In uterus:

# Menstrual cycle stops.

# Secretory phase of endometrium (under effect of hormones of corpus
luteum) continues to grow forming decidua of pregnancy.

A) Applied:
1) Twins:

@ Uniovular (monozygotic)
* One zygote 2 embryos.
* Identical except for finger prints.
* Same sex.
* Single placenta and amnion but two cords.
* Incidence 30%.
@ Binovular (dizygotic)
* 2 Ova + 2 sperms 2 zygotes.
* Different shapes.
* Same or opposite sex.
* Double placenta, amnion and cord.
* Incidence 70%.
N.B.: Some identical (monozygotic) twins become fused by their
heads Craniopagus, or by their chests Thoracopageus,
or by their sacral regions Pyopageus.

B) Applied:
2) In- Vitro Fertilization (IVF):

@ A method of treatment in sterility, especially if there is occlusion of

Fallopian tubes. Wife is given a drug to stimulate multiple ovulations.
Secondary oocytes are collected by an endoscope and are put in a
glass plate containing a special fluid medium. Sperms collected from
husband are added immediately. After fertilization is observed under
microsope, dividing zygotes are transferred to uterus of wife. Success
rate is low and procedure is very expensive.

3) Parthenogenesis:

@ An unfertilized oocyte typically dies within 24 hours. In extremely

rare occasions, it may undergo spontaneous cleavage and grows to
form an embryo. Resulting embryo is definitely a female (XX). This
may occur in animals but not in humans.

4) Chromosomal anomalies:

A) Sex chromosome anomalies:

* Turner syndrome (44+ XO): Female with rudimentary ovaries.

* Klinefelter syndrome (44+ XXY): Male with rudimentary testis.

B) Autosomal anomalies: represented by Down syndrome or

trisomy of chromosome 21 (mongolism) in which zygote contains

47 chrosomes either 45+ XY (male) or 45+ XX (female).