Exercise 2 2.

1 Fertilization of a Microlecithal Egg

Fertilization & Maturation Stage Unfertilized egg

- Extensive membranes observed in fertilized eggs are
In animals in general, fertilization is the direct interaction and absent here
fusion of two germinal cells (one egg and one spermatozoan), o Vacuolated cytoplasm
resulting in the initiation of cleavage, gastrulation and the species- o Inconspicuous nuclei
specific developmental program that characterizes each organism. o Thin cell membranes
Ascaris o Elongated and larger than fertile egg
o Thin shelled
- Parasitic nematode in the intestine of some animals o Shell ranges from irregular mammillations to relatively
- Well-developed reproductive system smooth layer completely lacking
- Sexes are separate
- Ascaris eggs - Transparent
Sperm penetration stage
o Each branch of eh shaped reproductive tract in the female
begins with a coiled and threadlike ovary and enlarges at - Characterized by the presence of the sperm head inside
the posterior region as the uterus. the egg.
o The uteri of the two branches unite for form the vagina, - Sperm heads are seen as small, dense and triangular
which ends in the genital pore or vulva. bodies.
o During copulation and insemination, the sperm cells enter - Within the cytoplasm of an oocyte, which has been
the eggs in the genital tract even before they have penetrated by a sperm cell, its nucleus, will be seen as one
completed the final stage in oogenesis. having a different shape of consistency.
o Fertilization occurs at the end of the uterus nearest the - Usually, during this stage, the cell is in its primary oocyte
oviduct. stage.
o Stage of development: Primary Oocyte
The first maturation division of oogenesis takes places o Presence of bivalents
simultaneously with ovulation. The secondary oocyte thus formed o Heads of spermatozoa small, dense triangular bodies
remain in such condition and waits for fertilization to occur. o After fertilization: forms fertilization membrane and outer
In vertebrates, meiosis progresses as far as the metaphase of the shell (Chitinous shell)
second maturation division.
Primary oocytes
If no fertilization takes place, it will just degenerate. Have a vacuolated cytoplasm
Inconspicuous nuclei
If sperm entrance takes place, the second maturation division is Thin cell membrane
continued. After fertilization, they become surrounded
A series of events then happen that triggers development. These by a fertilization membrane and thick
events are triggered by the presence of sperm at the egg surface. outer shell.
Meiosis II can only continue after this has
If the sperm penetrates the egg prior to the completion or even the happened.
start of meiosis, the sperm head or nucleus stays in the cytoplasm Sperm heads may also be seen between
of the egg until the female nucleus is formed. oocytes.

Fertilization is regarded complete when the male and female Maturation stage
chromosomes are joined. The zygote is thus formed.
First polar body formation

Ascaris have diploid number of 4.

Stages of Maturation During the separation of the members of
1. Maturation Stage the homologous pair, two groups of four
2. Sperm Penetration Stage chromosomes can be observed in the cell.
3. Pronuclear Stage Chromosomes appear as bread-like
4. Fusion Stage structures.
5. Early Cleavage Tetrads that will be part of the polar body
will be found in the periphery of the
primary oocyte.
Such a cell may also show the extruded first
or primary polar body on its surface. This
appears lie a small spherical structure
attached on the membrane of the oocyte
and enveloped by the cytoplasm. It can
 also be observed on the fertilization
membrane (inner layer of the chitinous
layer) as a black streak.
At this point, the sperm head should be transforming into a
pronuclei. The HAPLOID sperm head and some cytoplasm from the
spermatozoan are drawn into the cytoplasm of the egg. Its nucleus
then swells, its centriole generates an array of microtubules, and it
becomes the male pronucleus. The male pronucleus therefore is the
nucleus of the sperm after it has penetrated the cytoplasm of the
ovum and enlarges. The nucleus of the ovum, on the other hand,
which is a product of the second meiotic division is called a female
pronucleus.
Second polar body formation
- A second polar is formed when a secondary oocyte
extrudes one half of its longitudinal split chromosomes.
- A second polar body looks exactly like a first polar body.
- In some cases, an array of microtubules can be observed
near the centrioles of the female and male nuclei. This
terminates the process of fertilization.
o Fusion of male and female pronuclei
o Presence of 2 polar bodies (inner-2nd polar body; outer-1st
polar body) or 1 polar body (2nd polar body near the outer
covering; 1st polar body already extruded from the shell)
o Perivitelline space space between the egg and the
fertilization membrane
o Stage of development: Ovum
Early cleavage
- Cleavage and later developmental processes occur while
the egg is still inside the uterus
o Stage of Development: Zygote
o Diploid
o Entire cell dividing. Observe the phase of mitosis
(Prophase, Metaphase, Anaphase, Telophase)

It is a 2nd polar body if:

1. Two black streaks are observed an it is the inner streak.

2. Only one streak appears, but the female pronucleus is
already formed.

It must be noted however that aside from the second polar body, an
ootid is also formed after the 2nd meiotic division. There is really no
clear distinction between an ootid and an ovum. However, the male
and the female pronuclei will fuse only if the egg cell (ovum) is
already functional.

Pronuclear stage

- Before the actual fusion of the male and female pronuclei,

the oocyte has yet to complete the maturation process.
- In this condition, the male pronucleus appears as a dense
body near the center of the egg.
- The perivitelline space (between the egg and the
fertilization membrane) is filled with fluid.
o Formation of Second polar bodies
o Separation of sister chromatids
o 2nd polar body extruded (2 polar bodies will be seen; the
outer one is the first and the inner one is the second polar
body)
o Stage of development: Ootid

Fusion stage

- Female and male pronuclei fuse following their migration

towards along each other.
- Either the female pronucleus migrates to the male or the
male pronucleus migrates to the female resulting to the
fusion of the membranes of these pronuclei, which
produces the diploid zygote nucleus.
- This is differentiated therefore from the pronuclear stage
because the membranes of the male and female
pronuclei are fusing.