The effect of injecting a Ca 2+ -binding agent into a sea urchin egg before the sperms are added to seawater on fertilization. Introduction: Polyspermy is a biological phenomenon which describes the fertilization of one egg by more than one sperm. A diploid eukaryote contains two copies of each chromosome. These two copies are one from each parent. The cell that is formed would contain three or more copies of each chromosome, that is it would have one from the egg and one each from various sperms. The embryo which contains more than two copies of each chromosome dies. So, there are studies conducted to block polyspermy in various organisms and only one sperm would fertilize an egg.

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Chapter 23, Problem 8TYU

Summary Introduction

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The effect of injecting a Ca²⁺-binding agent into a sea urchin egg before the sperms are added to seawater on fertilization.

Introduction:

Polyspermy is a biological phenomenon which describes the fertilization of one egg by more than one sperm. A diploid eukaryote contains two copies of each chromosome. These two copies are one from each parent. The cell that is formed would contain three or more copies of each chromosome, that is it would have one from the egg and one each from various sperms. The embryo which contains more than two copies of each chromosome dies. So, there are studies conducted to block polyspermy in various organisms and only one sperm would fertilize an egg.

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