cortical reaction
Fertilization block mechanism
The cortical reaction is a chemical change in an egg cell immediately after fertilization that prevents additional sperm from entering.
When the first sperm penetrates, granules just beneath the egg's surface release their contents, hardening the outer membrane into an impenetrable barrier.
This ensures the embryo receives genetic material from only one sperm.
- eggReproductive cell in shell
- oocyteUndeveloped female gamete
- zygoteFirst embryonic cell
- sea urchinSpiny marine echinoderm
- spermMale reproductive cell
exocytosis · gamete · granules · embryogenesis · hardening · calcium · enzyme · fertilization · blastocyst · reproduction · cell membrane · penetration · activation · fusion · release · barrier · meiosis · block
- reproductionreproduction, birth, baby, egg, sperm
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