Question

Briefly explains the event of fertilisation and implantation in an adult human female.

Answer 1

Fertilization the fusion of gametes to initiate the development of a new individual organism. The process starts with ejaculation during copulation, follows with ovulation, and finishes with fertilization. After the sperm enters the cytoplasm of the oocyte (also called oocyte), the tail and the outer coating of the sperm disintegrate and the cortical reaction takes place, preventing other sperm from fertilizing the same egg. The oocyte now undergoes its second meiotic division producing the haploid ovum and releasing a polar body. The sperm nucleus then fuses with the ovum, enabling fusion of their genetic material. In humans, implantation is the stage of pregnancy at which the embryo adheres to the wall of the uterus. At this stage of prenatal development, the conceptus is called a blastocyst. It is by this adhesion that the embryo receives oxygen and nutrients from the mother to be able to grow.

In humans, implantation of a fertilized ovum is most likely to occur around 9 days after ovulation, however, this can range between 6 and 12 days.