Lesson: Fertilization Science • Second Year of Preparatory School

Students will be able to

• describe the basic structure of an egg cell (ovum) as a relatively large spherical cell with a nucleus, surrounded by a jelly coat,
• describe the basic structure of a sperm cell as a cell adapted for movement with a long tail, a midpiece, and a head containing the nucleus,
• outline how the structures of sperm and egg cells make them well adapted for their functions in fertilization,
• outline the basic events that occur during fertilization when a sperm and an egg cell fuse to form a zygote,
• describe the movement of the sperm and the egg cell prior to fertilization and implantation, including the movement of cilia in the oviducts,
• recall that a zygote will develop into an embryo, a fetus, and then a baby.