Fertilization in Animals
• Fertilization begins with gamete fusion (zygote
formation).
• It is a process of fusion of a male gamete (sperm)
and a female gamete (egg) or it is a process in
which fusion of haploid sperm nucleus and
haploid egg nucleus takes place and a diploid
zygote nucleus is formed. (A single cell capable of
developing into a new individual).
• Fertilization occurs in ampullary-isthmic junction
of the uterine tube.
• While spermatozoa can stay alive in the female
reproductive tract for about 24 to 48 hrs
(exception horse 2-6 days) the ovum dies 12 – 24
hrs after ovulation, if not fertilized.
• Spermatozoa pass rapidly from the vagina into
the uterus & subsequently into the uterine tubes
due to contraction of uterine tube & its
musculature.
• Male & female haploid pronuclei make contact,
lose their nuclear membranes, and begins
mitosis.
• The spermatozoa on arrival in the female genital
tract are not capable of fertilizing the oocyte
immediately.
• They must undergo
• i) Capacitation and ii) Acrosome Reaction
• i) Capacitation: - It is the period of conditioning in
female reproductive tract (in human approx.
7hrs.).
• During this time a glycoprotein coat & plasma
proteins are removed from the plasma
membrane which is present over acrosomal
region of the spermatozoa.
• Completion of capacitation permits the
acrosome reaction to occur.
• ii) Acrosome Reaction: - This reaction occurs at the
place just near the oocyte.
• Morphologically multiple point fusions between
the plasma membrane & outer acrosomal
membrane takes place and permits the release of
acrosomal contents.
• During this reaction, there is release of
• a) Hyaluronidase - needed to penetrate corona
radiata barrier.
• b) Trypsin like substance - needed for digestion of
zona pellucida.
• c) Zona lysin (sperm lysin) - needed to help the
spermatozoon to cross the zona pellucida.
• Fertilization occurs in 3 phases
• Phase -1- Penetration of corona radiata
• Out of the millions of spermatozoa deposited in
the female genital tract, only 300 – 500 reaches at
the site of fertilization.
• Only one of these is needed for fertilization.
• It is thought that the remaining sperms aid the
penetrating sperms to cross corona radiata.
• Previously it was thought that the hyaluronidase
enzyme helps in dispersal of coronal cells, but now
it is thought that the dispersion of coronal cells
occurs due to the combined action of themselves
and the tubal mucosa enzymes.
• Phase-2:- Penetration of zona pellucida
• This second barrier protecting the female gamete
is penetrated by the sperm with the help of
enzymes released from the inner acrosomal
membrane.
• Once the sperm touches the zona pellucida it
becomes firmly attached (via Ca++ influx) and
penetrates rapidly.
• The permeability of zona pellucida changes at
this time & its properties are changed.
• There is a spilling of contents (protease) of
cortical granules into this space.
• Phase-3:- Fusion of oocyte - sperm cell
membranes ( syngamy)
• The spermatozoon then penetrates the vitelline
membrane by phagocytosis and enters the
cytoplasm.
• After this entry the ‘vitelline block’ occurs which
is a second reaction to guard against fertilization
by other spermatozoa.
• Cortical granules may also participate in the
vitelline block.
• It is not an absolute safeguard; other
spermatozoa can sometimes be seen in the
perivitelline space.
• Only one sperm seems to be able to penetrate
the oocyte proper.
• On rare occasion two sperms penetrate the
female gamete simultaneously and sometimes
embryos with altered chromosomes have been
found.
Table:- Estimated fertile life of sperm & ova in
farm animals
Species Fertile life in hrs.
Spermatozoa Ova
Cattle 24-48 8-12
Swine 24-48 8-10
Sheep 30-48 16-24
Horse 72-120 6-8
• The sperm can enter the ovum at any point on its
circumference.
• In many mammals, entire sperm is known to pass
into the cytoplasm of the ovum.
• After the entry of the sperm, the second polar
body is extruded and the chromosomes, which
remain in the ovum, reconstitute themselves into
a vesicular nucleus, the female pronucleus.
• The vitellus shrinks so that a distinct perivitelline
space is present.
• The head of the sperm undergoes changes after
it enters the ovum.
• It swells up and becomes transformed into the
male pronucleus.
• The middle piece and the tail persists for
sometime and later disappears and are probably
absorbed into the cytoplasm of the ovum.
• After the head of the sperm becomes detached
from the middle piece and tail, it probably
rotates through 180 ° and the two pronuclei
meet roughly in the center of the ovum.
• A centrosome, which is possibly derived from the
proximal centriole of the sperm, now becomes distinct.
• It divides into two parts, each of which is attached to a
pole of the spindle, which now makes its appearance.
• At the same time, each pronucleus resolves itself into
chromosomes and the nuclear membranes disappear.
• The chromosomes of both pronuclei arrange
themselves on the spindle and each splits into halves
passing towards the chromosomes.
• The polar bodies persist for a variable time in the
perivitelline space but later they degenerate and
disappear.
