The Cell Biology of Fertilization

The Cell Biology of Fertilization provides an introduction to the various aspects of fertilization in several species, including nematodes, insects, ascidians, clams, sea urchins, rats, hamsters, cows, pigs, sheep, and humans. This text discusses the experimental approaches using methods of biophysics, biochemistry, enzymology, immunology, cell biology, and molecular biology. This book is comprised of three parts encompassing 15 chapters. Part I explores the ability of egg factors to affect sperm motility and initiate the acrosome reaction by modifying ion movements across the sperm plasma membrane. Part II considers the aspects of egg architecture, ranging from extracellular remodelling to nuclei organization, which is involved in embryogenesis and fertilization. Part III provides an overview of gene expression, oncogenes, and nuclear determination during embryogenesis and at fertilization. Cell biologists, developmental biologists, molecular biologists, geneticists, biophysicists, biochemists, reproductive biologists, scientists, researchers, and students will find this book extremely useful.