Fertilization

The beginning process of fertilization involves a man and a women having intercourse, where the man gametes, otherwise referred to as sperm, is inserted into the woman’s vagina.  Sperm consists of a variety of proteins and other elements which allow the sperm to remain healthy while contained within the woman’s vagina, where the life span can be from 24 to 48 hours depending upon the health of the sperm.  Sperm have cells they use to swim to their destination called flagellum.  During this process, typically up to 300 million sperm are released upon ejaculation.

Female egg cells are called ova, and they play a significant role in the fertilization process when connecting with only one sperm to form a fertilized zygote, which then forms into a developing fetus.  In a common circumstance, only one ovum is released during each menstrual cycle.

Ovulation is defined as the process in the female’s menstrual cycle in which the ovum is discharged and is ready for fertilization.  The part of the women which catches the ovum is called fimbriae, and it is located at the end of the fallopian tube.  If fertilization takes place, the sperm are required to swim a long distance up to the fallopian tube to meet the ovum.  Once there, fertilization can take place, as each sperm contains enzymes which break through the layers necessary to connect with it and being the process.  It is said this can take up to 15 or 20 minutes.  Once this occurs, other sperm will not be able to fertilize the egg, as the membrane begins to change and protects this from occurring.  A diploid cell is then formed, which completes the fertilization process.