LEGENDS OF THE SPERM AND EGG

1. The female reproductive tract is a passive conduit through which the sperm race.
2. The first sperm to reach the egg fertilizes it.
3. The egg is the passive recipient of the sperm.
4. All important phenotypic characters/traits are determined at fertilization. (e.g., the way you
walk, the way you think, your intelligence, your behaviors)

Extra notes:

 Mesodermal cells move like a tractor.

 The trophoblast invades the uterus at day 8
 Crystalline is to lens cells while globin is to red blood cells (hemoglobin fills up erythrocytes).

Relationship between the early embryo and the uterus.

 Does the embryo dock on to the uterus? Or does the embryo invade the uterus? Or does it
implant into the uterus?

Gametes

 Organism’s reproductive cells

 Means marriage partners
 Defines the set of the sperm and egg.
 Behaviors model gender
 Sperm= men; egg = women

Models Proposed after Fertilization was discovered: MODELS FOR GAMETES

1. The sperm are suitors of the egg.

a. Egg is seated in the ovarian parlor and the sperm would come to the egg.
b. Sperm is chosen by the egg. Egg is active.
c. “The ovum determines which sort of sperm shall be allowed entrance into the egg
substance. In this we see the extension to its ultimate limit, of the well-known role of
selection on the part of the female organism. To it, come two forms of spermatozoa,
the x-bearing sperm, the y-bearing sperm, from which selection is made in response to
environmental necessities.” (McClung 1902 Biological Bulletin 3)
2. Egg as the Sleeping beauty, and the Sperm as the valiant prince
a. Sperm survives the brambles of the zona pellucida and other sperms, and gives into the
dormant egg a kick to start fertilization.
 3. The sperm as the heroic victor
a. “Founder myths of royal lineage” (Joseph Campbell)
i. Each of us is decedent of a heroic sperm and an oocyte princess.
ii. Egg has corona radiata (hence oocyte princess, a royal)
iii. Hero sperm and royal egg.
b. First sperm to penetrate egg fertilizes it.
4. The sperm as a conquering warrior.
a. Sperm wars and warriors.
b. Casualties in the sperm wars are staggering.
c. Sperm are described as tactically smart foot soldiers.
d. Sperm are well-armed, and a .000024 inch weapon tipped with a chemical head.
e. "The female does all she can to encourage the sperm. The egg sends out alluring
chemical cues. The tense maneuvers between the well-armed sperm and the fortified
egg echo back to the first moments when sexual reproduction evolved. Why do males
need to produce millions of sperm and release them with such intensity? The problem
of sperm, and thus of males, are of course the fault of females. Female fickleness sets up
a quandary for males.” (Meredith Small: 1990 Discover)

Myth Reflected by the 4th Gamete Model

 a fortified woman sending out alluring chemical cues to an army of spermatozoa.

o Talks about Helen of Troy.
 Helen launched a thousand ships, men launch millions of spermatozoa.

FACTS ABOUT THE GAMETE

 Sperm become capacitated in the oviducts.

o The oviduct is not a passive conduit through which sperm race.
 Sperm is Activated by the egg.
o sperm is activated by the egg, and it's activated by the female reproductive tract.
 The sperm is told how to get there by the egg.
 Sperm is hyper activated,
o its motility is increased by the egg.
o The egg is not passive.
o The sperm does not drill into the egg
 The sperm “spoons” into the egg.
 The curvature of the acrosome meets the curvature of the egg and the egg cell
membrane wraps around the sperm cell membrane and they dissolve and fuse
together.

LEGENDS OF THE SPERM AND EGG

 1. The egg is the passive recipient of the sperm
2. The female reproductive tract is a passive conduit
3. The first sperm reaching the egg fertilizes it.
4. The sperm drills into the egg.

ROSA GRANVILLE HARRISON

 One of the most famous American Embryologists of the 1930’s.

 "It is never less important to realize that even the language of science is bound by tradition and
is by no means free of anthropomorphisms and relics of our demonology, which are difficult to
escape, and which may not only lend a false sense of security to our explanations but may also
suggest foolish questions that can never be answered."

Note:

 be wary of descriptions that are used to discuss fertilization.

o Because they often contain hidden messages about the way men and women are
expected to behave.

CAPACITATION

CAPACITATION IN REPRODUCTIVE TRACT

 Cells of the female reproductive tract physically bind the sperm

 relatively unknown areas of mammalian fertilization
 In sea urchins and frog fertilization
o the male releases sperm, the female releases eggs.
o Sperm meets egg, egg meets sperm, and the fertilized egg begins development.
 With mammals: (Capacity of the sperm to penetrate the egg)
o The sperm that is ejaculated into the vagina is not fully developed, and it cannot
fertilize the egg.
 It is an immature sperm.
 This was discovered independently in several species of mammals by Colin
Austin and Min Chueh Chang.

SPERM’S CAPACITY TO PENETRATE EGG

1. When sperm was introduced immediately into the oviduct upon ovulation
a. the sperm would meet the eggs, but most sperm could not bind to the eggs.
2. If they added the sperm a few hours before the egg was ovulated
a. the sperm were capable of binding to the egg and fertilizing it.
SPERM’S CAPACITY TO PENETRATE EGG

 This means that in vitro fertilization in humans could not be done yet.
o If you just add sperm to eggs, nothing happens.

CAPACITATION

 The functional maturation of the spermatozoan.

 The biochemical events enabling the released sperm to mature into sperm capable of fertilizing
an egg
o the acquisition of a capacity.
 Normally occurs in the female reproductive tract, in the uterus or fallopian tubes, the oviducts.
o Oviduct:
 Capacitation Completed
 Hyperactive motility
o Uterus;
 Capacitation is initiated
 PROCESS:
o The cells of the female reproductive tract physically bind the sperm.
 They slow it down, and they change the biochemistry of the sperm cell
membrane.

EFFECTS OF CAPACITATION

 Before capacitation
o the membrane of the sperm is rigid, and won't
fuse with the egg cell membrane.
 After capacitation
o the membrane is more fluid, and can fuse.

CAPACITATION AND FERTILIZATION

 Changes the flow of calcium ions into the

sperm
 Allows the sperm to move quickly, and to
undergo the acrosome reaction.
 Equips the sperm head with molecules that
can better sense the presence of the egg and
follow the signal to the egg.
MOLECULAR EVENTS OF SPERM CAPACITATION: The key to capacitation

 an adenylyl cyclase enzyme

o when activated, activates a protein kinase enzyme.
 This protein kinase first activates those proteins associated with sperm motility.
 However, after a few hours, cholesterol is removed from the cell membranes of
the sperm by serum proteins.
 This allows more ion channels to work, further activating the protein
kinase A to higher levels.

 It's thought that these proteins eventually phosphorylate the proteins that are involved in
sperm motility, in those proteins allowing the sperm to undergo the acrosome reaction and in
other sperm proteins involved in self-fusion.
o We do not know the identity of these proteins.
 So the first sperm to reach the egg are not usually capable of binding to or fertilizing the egg.
o The sperm have to be modified by the cells of the female reproductive tract.

CAPACITATION: Time-Released Mechanism for the Release of the Sperm

 The female body may also use capacitation as a way of prolonging the duration over which
mature, functional sperm can enter the area where the egg is to be found.

CAPACITATION AND FERLILIZATION.

 Numerous sperm in a brief period of time

 time-release mechanism
o by which sperm are released slowly, so that there's a longer period of time when
fertilization can take place.
o Instead of there being a brief period of time where the egg sees numerous sperm
  Sperm released slowly
 Longer period of time with fertilization can take place.

Capacitation has enabled human in vitro fertilization.

1. hormonal stimulation is used to get the oocytes from the woman.

2. Eggs removed surgically
o Immature eggs are then removed surgically, and are mixed with newly ejaculated sperm
3. Incubated in a medium that contains the necessary chemicals to effect capacitation.
o bicarbonate ions
o calcium ions
o serum albumin
o Incubating the fertilized egg for around two days to make certain that they divide and
are healthy, is then accomplished
4. implanting these eggs into the woman's uterus.
o There is no certainty of success here.
o Most eggs do not adhere or implant into the uterus.
o So, this has many interesting consequences, as well as those for in vitro fertilization.
 It means that sperm in condoms is probably not able to fertilize eggs.
 It also means that there is usually a four to five day period between intercourse
and fertilization.
 One does not get immediately impregnated.
 As one researcher said,
o "Fertilization does not take place in a moment of passion. It occurs four to five days
later. Maybe in the library."
MYTH 1: The female reproductive tract is a passive conduit through which the sperm race.

FACTS:

 Sperm become capacitated in the oviducts.

o The oviduct is not a passive conduit through which sperm race.

MYTH 2: The first sperm to reach the egg fertilizes it.

FACTS:

 Sperm is Activated by the egg.

o sperm is activated by the egg, and it's activated by the female reproductive tract.

MYTH 3: The egg is the passive recipient of the sperm.

FACTS:

 The sperm is told how to get there by the egg.

MYTH 4: All important phenotypic characters/traits are determined at fertilization. (e.g., the way you
walk, the way you think, your intelligence, your behaviors)

FACTS:

MYTH 5: The sperm drills into the egg.

FACTS:

 Sperm is hyper activated,

o its motility is increased by the egg.
o The egg is not passive.
o The sperm does not drill into the egg
 The sperm “spoons” into the egg.
 The curvature of the acrosome meets the curvature of the egg and the egg cell
membrane wraps around the sperm cell membrane and they dissolve and fuse
together.