Fertilization and Development Activation Quiz

Fertilization and Zygote Development

• Fertilization triggers a sequence of metabolic and morphologic changes resulting in the division of the zygote into a multicellular organism.
• The first consequence of fertilization is the activation of the zygote's metabolism, which leads to cell division.
• The second major event of fertilization is the fusion of the sperm and egg nuclei, resulting in the formation of a single diploid nucleus.
• The fusion of the sperm and egg triggers the sequence of metabolic and morphologic changes in the zygote.
• The first step in the interaction of sperm and egg is the recognition and binding of the sperm to the zona pellucida, a glycoprotein layer surrounding the egg.