Copulation & Fertilisation

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  • Created by: Vez97
  • Created on: 17-03-16 18:46

WHAT IS COPULATION?

Sexual intercourse.

WHAT IS CAPACITATION?

When sperm are first ejaculated, they are not able to fertilise the oocyte.  As they travel through the female reproductive tract, they undergo a process called capacitation.  Capacitation involves the removal of cholesterol and some glycoproteins from the membrane above the acrosome, thus making the membrane more fluid and more permeable to calcium ions.

Capacitation gives sperm the ability to penetrate and fertilise the oocyte; it is a type of maturation.

WHAT HAPPENS DURING FERTILISATION?

The nucleus of the sperm enters the oocyte.  This happens because...

  • The sperm head binds to the zona pellucida of the oocyte, triggering the entry of calcium ions into the head of the

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