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Oocyte (or ovum/egg) activation is a series of processes that occur in the oocyte during fertilization. Sperm entry causes calcium release into the oocyte. In mammals, this is caused by the introduction of phospholipase C isoform zeta (PLCζ) from the sperm cytoplasm. [ 1 ]
The egg cell is generally asymmetric, having an animal pole (future ectoderm). It is covered with protective envelopes, with different layers. The first envelope – the one in contact with the membrane of the egg – is made of glycoproteins and is known as the vitelline membrane (zona pellucida in mammals).
In the brown alga Fucus, all four egg cells survive oogenesis, which is an exception to the rule that generally only one product of female meiosis survives to maturity. In plants, oogenesis occurs inside the female gametophyte via mitosis. In many plants such as bryophytes, ferns, and gymnosperms, egg cells are formed in archegonia.
Many studies show that cumulus expansion is critical for the maturation of the oocyte because the cumulus complex is the oocyte's direct communication with the developing follicle environment. It also plays a significant role in fertilization, though the mechanisms are not entirely known and are species specific. [4] [5] [6]
The first frog egg extract was reported in 1983 by Lohka and Masui. [1] This pioneering work used eggs of the Northern leopard frog Rana pipiens to prepare an extract. Later, the same procedure was applied to eggs of Xenopus laevis, becoming popular for studying cell cycle progression and cell cycle-dependent cellular events. [2]
An ootid is the haploid result of ootidogenesis. [4] In oogenesis, it doesn't really have any significance in itself, since it is very similar to the ovum. However, it fills the purpose as the female counterpart of the male spermatid in spermatogenesis. Each chromosome is split between the two ootids, leaving only one chromatid per chromosome.
G 1 phase is the first of the four phases of the cell cycle, and is part of interphase. While in G 1 the cell synthesizes messenger RNA (mRNA) and proteins in preparation for subsequent steps of interphase leading to mitosis. In human somatic cells, the cell cycle lasts about 18 hours, and the G 1 phase makes up about 1 / 3 of that time. [13]
The end-products of the germ cell cycle are the egg or sperm. [4] Under special conditions in vitro germ cells can acquire properties similar to those of embryonic stem cells (ESCs). The underlying mechanism of that change is still unknown. These changed cells are then called embryonic germ cells.