File:An overview of the process of fertilisation in mutant C. elegans.jpeg

An overview of the process of fertilisation in mutant C. elegans

The fertilisation process in mutant C. elegans is described in each panel by both a Nomarski image and an explanatory cartoon. In this study, some functional sperm (shown in the cartoons in grey) and mostly non-functional sperm (shown in the cartoons in white) were produced by the mutant C. elegans. In Nomarski images, sperm are indicated by black arrowheads. In image (a), oocyte can be seen next to the spermatheca (where the sperm are stored) and it is ready for ovulation. In (b) the mature oocyte is ovulated into the spermatheca where it can be fertilised. It is possible for each oocyte to contact all of the functional and non-functional sperm stored in the spermatheca, simultaneously. After fertilisation in spermatheca, the oocyte is pushed into the uterus (c). Fertilisation is restricted to spermatheca, therefore any displaced sperm finds its way back to the spermatheca until the next ovulation and no fertilisation occurs even if the displaced sperm contact the unfertilized oocytes in the uterus.

--Mark Hill (talk) 16:17, 21 August 2014 (EST) This is all correct. The image is very large (1.15 MB), perhaps a small version could have been uploaded. You can adjust the resolution and size in most image editing programs.

Reference

<pubmed>15086962</pubmed>BMC Developmental Biology

Copyright

© 2004 Kadandale and Singson; licensee BioMed Central Ltd. This is an Open Access article: verbatim copying and redistribution of this article are permitted in all media for any purpose, provided this notice is preserved along with the article's original URL.http://www.biomedcentral.com/1471-213X/4/3/figure/F1

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