For fertilization to happen between a sperm and egg cell, a sperm must first fuse with the plasma membrane and then penetrate the female egg cell to fertilize it. While the fusion of the sperm cell with the egg cell's plasma membrane is relatively straightforward, penetrating the egg's protective layers, such as the zona pellucida, presents a significant challenge. Therefore, sperm cells go through a process known as the acrosome reaction, which is the reaction that occurs in the acrosome of the sperm as it approaches the egg.
The acrosome is a membrane-bound organelle of Golgi apparatus origin, commonly located at the tip of the head of the mature spermatozoon, which contains a variety of enzymes and antigens required for fertilization. It was once called "apical body" because of its location, or "perforatorium" on the assumption that it might assist the spermatozoon boring into the egg.[1]
As the sperm approaches the zona pellucida of the egg, which is necessary for initiating the acrosome reaction, the membrane surrounding the acrosome fuses with the plasma membrane of the sperm's head, exposing the contents of the acrosome. The contents include surface antigens necessary for binding to the egg's cell membrane, and numerous enzymes which are responsible for breaking through the egg's tough coating and allowing fertilization to occur.[2]
- ^ Hirohashi, Noritaka; Yanagimachi, Ryuzo (2018-07-01). "Sperm acrosome reaction: its site and role in fertilization". Biology of Reproduction. 99 (1): 127–133. doi:10.1093/biolre/ioy045. ISSN 1529-7268. PMID 29462288.
- ^ Swiss Virtual Campus. "Chapter 4, Fertilization". Human Embryology. universities of Fribourg, Lausanne and Bern. Archived from the original on 18 February 2019. Retrieved 18 February 2017.