Question Video: Describing How Egg Cells Are Adapted for Their Function | Nagwa Question Video: Describing How Egg Cells Are Adapted for Their Function | Nagwa

Question Video: Describing How Egg Cells Are Adapted for Their Function Biology • First Year of Secondary School

Which of the following is not an adaptation of egg cells? [A] They are haploid and thus contain half the genetic material of a normal body cell. [B] The cytoplasm contains a large volume of nutrients to help the embryo grow. [C] They are lined with cilia that helps move substances away. [D] They have a protective jelly coat that hardens after fertilization. [E] The egg cell membrane can fuse with the sperm cell membrane.

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Video Transcript

Which of the following is not an adaptation of egg cells? (A) They are haploid and thus contain half the genetic material of a normal body cell. (B) The cytoplasm contains a large volume of nutrients to help the embryo grow. (C) They are lined with cilia that helps move substances away. (D) They have a protective jelly coat that hardens after fertilization. (E) The egg cell membrane can fuse with the sperm cell membrane.

The egg cell is the female reproductive cell in humans. It is produced by the ovaries and, if fertilized by a sperm, it will form an embryo and eventually a fetus. Let’s discuss some of the adaptations of an egg cell to determine which of our answer choices is correct.

Both the egg and sperm cell are haploid and contain half the genetic material of a normal body cell. This allows for a complete set of chromosomes when the two cells combine and form an embryo. So we can eliminate answer (A) because this is an adaptation of egg cells.

During fertilization, the sperm cell membrane fuses with the egg cell membrane, allowing the sperm cell’s nucleus to enter the egg cell. So we can eliminate answer choice (E).

Once the egg has been fertilized by a sperm cell, it needs to prevent further fertilization attempts. To do this, it has a jelly coat on its outer surface that immediately hardens after fertilization. This prevents other sperm from fertilizing the egg. So we can eliminate answer (D).

Finally, the egg cell has a large volume of cytoplasm that contains nutrients to help the embryo grow. So we can eliminate answer (B).

Cilia are hairlike structures on the surface of some cells, such as epithelial cells of the digestive tract. However, they are not found on egg cells. So answer (C) is not an adaptation of egg cells and is therefore the correct answer. They are lined with cilia that helps move substances away.

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