KnowraFertilizationFertilizationFertilization is the fusion of a sperm cell and an egg cell, combining their genetic material to form a zygote.BriefConnectSperm capacitation: A set of changes in sperm that enables them to fertilize an egg. Capacitation prepares sperm to bind to and penetrate the egg's protective layers.Sperm: The motile male reproductive cell that carries a haploid genome to an egg. Its membrane and nucleus participate directly in the fusion.Human reproduction: The biological process by which humans produce offspring. Fertilization is the event that begins a new human organism's development.Zygote: The first cell formed when two gametes unite. It is the immediate cellular product of fertilization.Acrosome reaction: The release of enzymes from a sperm's acrosome during its interaction with an egg's coverings. This reaction helps sperm pass through the egg's outer layers.Egg cell: The female reproductive cell that can be fertilized and develop into an embryo. It supplies the cell, maternal genome, and cytoplasm that begin development.In vitro fertilization: An assisted reproductive technique in which eggs are fertilized outside the body. It enables fertilization under laboratory conditions before embryo transfer.Genetic recombination: The exchange or rearrangement of genetic material that creates new allele combinations. Meiosis creates varied gametes whose genomes are brought together at fertilization.Zona pellucida: A glycoprotein-rich coat surrounding the mammalian egg. Sperm interact with this coat before reaching the egg's cell membrane.Gamete: A reproductive cell carrying one set of chromosomes. Sperm and eggs are the two gametes that unite in fertilization.Show all 24Linked from 66 pagesPregnancyRelated: It begins the developmental sequence that can establish a pregnancy.Sexual selectionNarrower topic: Competition can continue after mating through access to fertilization.PollinationCompared with: Pollination transfers pollen; fertilization is the later fusion of gametes.GymnospermRelated: Fertilization inside the ovule initiates development of the gymnosperm embryo.Embryonic developmentNarrower topic: It creates the single cell from which the developmental sequence begins.ParthenogenesisCompared with: Parthenogenesis begins development without this usual source of paternal genetic material.ViviparityRelated: In many viviparous animals, fertilization occurs internally before embryos remain in the parent.Developmental biologyNarrower topic: It initiates the developmental sequence and establishes the first embryonic cell.Show all 66