Fertilization and

inheritance
 Content

Fertilization
Sperm vs. egg
Sex determination
Twins
 Sex cells(gametes)
Human sex cells are called gametes. A human gamete has 23
chromosomes.

• We inherit 23 chromosomes from

our mother.

• We inherit 23 chromosomes from

our father.

• Our cells have 46 chromosomes

(23 pairs) all together.
Features of a sperm
•The sperm has 3 components - a head, a
middle piece, and a tail. It is
about 0.05mm in length.
•It is a single cell with cell components like
the cell membrane, nucleus, and cell
membrane.
•The nucleus is present in the head of the
sperm.
•The amount of cytoplasm in a sperm cell
is very less, while the tail functions or aids
in the movement of the sperm towards
egg.
•Sperm moves side to side by the waving
action of sperm.
•Have many mitochondria to provide energy
•an acrosome (part of the tip of the head) that
releases enzymes to digest the egg membrane.
 Features of an egg

 Ova are much larger

than the sperm and is
about 0.15mm in
diameter.
 Egg has a thin layer
called the jelly
coat that allows
only one sperm to
enter into it during
the process of
fertilization.
 Have food store ;
nutrients are used by
developing foetus.
FERTILISATION
Gender of the baby
 Gender of the baby
Women have XX chromosomes, that is two X
chromosomes, while men have XY sex chromosomes, that
is one of each kind,– an X and a Y. To complete the
chromosome pair, a mom-to-be’s egg provides one sex
chromosome-always an X chromosome-and
the male sperm provides the other-which either an X or
a Y chromosome.
If a male sperm carrying an X chromosome fertilizes the
egg, it will combine with mom’s X, and the embryo will
have two X chromosomes (XX) resulting in a female fetus.
If a Y-carrying sperm combines with mom’s X, the resulting
embryo will have one X and one Y chromosome (XY
chromosome) thereby establishing a male fetus.
Punnet's square for sex
determination
Punnet's square for sex
determination
 FERTILISATION- twins
• When a sperm has fertilised an egg a zygote is
formed.
• The zygote will divide and grow into an embryo.
This will grow into a baby.
• Twins are formed when the fertilised egg divides
into two before it starts to divide into a baby. This
is how identical twins are produced. They are
genetically identical to each other.

• If 2 different sperm fertilise 2 different eggs

FRATERNAL twins will be produced but they
will not be genetically identical. They can be
different sexes and they will look different.
Fraternal and identical twins