PHSI3010 Lecture Notes - Lecture 10: Spermatozoon, Autocrine Signalling, Acrosome
22 Mar 2019
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Lecture 10: fertilization in vivo and in vitro. Sperm in the vagina move into uterus by active swimming, chemotaxis and thermotaxis to locate oocyte in fallopian tube. Process of fertilization: sperm capacitation: physiological changes in spermatozoa in order to penetrate and fertilize an egg, contact, acrosomal reaction, growth of acrosomal process. Fusion of the plasma membrane of the sperm and egg. Capacitated sperm release enzymes from their acrosomes in order to penetrate cells and zona pellucida surrounding the egg: acrosome reaction: reaction that occurs in acrosome of sperm as it approaches the egg. Membrane surrounding the acrosome fuses with plasma membrane of sperm"s head, exposing contents of acrosome. Contents: surface antigens necessary for binding to egg"s cell membrane & hydrolytic enzymes responsible for breaking through egg"s tough coating: fusion with oocyte. Describe the intracellular signaling events that lead to cell cycle activation after. Fertilization causes intracellular ca2+ oscillations in the oocyte.
