Essay On Ovum

Ovum Cell Research Paper The ovum cell is one of the most important cells in all living organisms. Most ova are unicellular because they are only one cell at first but becomes multi cellular once fertilized by the sperm and begin dividing. However, in other organisms, such as protists, they can start off as multi cellular as well. The ova is the female gamete produced by the female reproductive system and joins together with the sperm, the male gamete, during fertilization to form the embryo. Gametes are haploids which is the only type of cell that contains only one set of chromosomes. Ova are produced by many living organisms, such as animals, protists, fungi, and flowering plants and ferns. In animals, they are produced
by the follicle cells in the ovaries of the female and in plant cells they are produced by ovules found inside the ovaries, which is the part where it becomes the fruit/flower. They are the key component to reproduction in almost all living organisms, in one form or another. Its function is to carry out one set of chromosomes, which is only half of the genetic material required to create an organism, from the female and create an environment to enable fertilization by the sperm.
It also provides nutrients for the embryo once it is formed until it sinks into the uterus where the placenta can take over. In the human body, the ovum is about the size of a sesame seed, or approximately 0.12 mm in diameter. The reason why it is so large is because it contains all organelles, materials, and nutrients for the growth and development of the embryo as well as a layer of padding which protects valuable information in the nucleus. So what kind of organelles do ovum cells have and what are their functions? Nucleus
The nucleus controls the entire ovum cell and it contains most of the genetic material in the form of chromosomes. This is where the genes are situated when the sperm cell enters the ovum. Both the egg and the sperm have half the number of chromosomes of a regular cell. For example, in a human reproductive system, the sperm and the egg have 23 chromosomes, so once they combine during fertilization and create the embryo it will have the normal 46 chromosomes. The human baby will also receive its genetic information and inherit traits from its mom and dad from the nucleus.
Cytoplasm
The cytoplasm, or yolk, is a gel-like substance that contains many energy-generating factories called mitochondria because it is on its own when developing the organism until the uterus can take over. We can also see that the cytoplasm is very large due to the fact that it holds all the other organelles needed to keep the cell functioning properly.This is where a big chunk of the nutrients needed for the growth of the organism is located at.

Vitelline Membrane
The vitelline membrane is the plasma membrane of the cell. It surrounds the entire outside of the cytoplasm and it regulates what goes in and what goes out of the cell. For example, when the egg has already been fertilized the vitelline membrane prevents other sperm from entering. Cell wall
The cell wall, or zona pellucida, is the outer wall of the cell that is only present in mammals. It surrounds the entire outside of the cell and it helps the sperm enter through the eggs hard layers. Once the sperm fertilizes the egg the zona pellucida disappears and it signals the body that it is ready to be implanted into the uterus. This structure of the cell is essential for the fertilization process. Corona Radiata
The corona radiata is directly adjacent to the zona pellucida. It consists of two or three layers surrounding the zona pellucida. The purpose of this part of the cell is to supply the vital proteins needed for the cell. This also disappears along with the cell wall after fertilization. Many organisms depend on this cell for the survival of their species. The ovum cell is essential for organisms to continue reproducing and passing on their crucial DNA that makes it necessary for them to withstand the wild. This single cell is the determining factor if a species continues to exist or not. What makes this cell work is what each of its inner structure does for it. The nucleus controls the cell and provides all the genetic information, the cytoplasm holds all the organelles used to produce nutrients for the cell, the vitelline membrane ensures that no other sperm are allowed to enter through the cell, and the cell wall protects the egg and helps the sperm enter through the eggs layers. The last structure is the corona radiata and like ribosomes provide they cell with proteins but instead are located outside the entire cell, including the zona pellucida. All these structures located in the ovum are incredibly important to making this cell work to produce organisms that will carry on the survival of their species