Elmts of Mammalian Fertilization Basic Concepts

Volume I of this treatise begins at the beginning of the fertilization pathway with development of eggs and sperm (gametogenesis) and progresses to the point at which gametes are rendered capable of producing a viable zygote (Chapters 1 to 5). This includes the final maturation stages for both eggs (meiotic maturation; Chapter 4) and sperm (capa-citation; Chapter 5). A description of specific macromolecules involved in gamete adhesion (Chapter 6) is then followed by discussions of two exocytotic events, the acrosome reaction of sperm (Chapter 7) and cortical reaction of eggs (Chapter 8). A discussion of the characteristics and possible roles of a sperm enzyme, acrosin (Chapter 9), precedes the final two chapters that deal with morphological and ultrastructural aspects of the fertilization process (Chapters 10 and 11). Overall, this volume provides an up-to-date assessment of the status of basic research on some major events of the mammalian fertilization pathway.