Structural, Physiological, Biochemical and Biotechnological Aspects of Mammalian Spermatozoa: An Overview

Abstract

Fertilization, an important phase of reproduction, is physiologically the union of the male and female gamete. This progression involves the fusion of an oocyte with a sperm, leading to generation of a single diploid cell, the zygote, from which a new individual organism develops. The elucidation of the physiological, biochemical and molecular mechanisms of fertilization has enthralled researchers of relevance for several years. This overview embodies this fascinating progression at physiological, biochemical and molecular level. A number of molecules have been recognized to play a key role in each step of this interesting process pertaining to the sperm magnetism from the oocyte, the sperm maturation, the sperm and oocyte union and the two gamete pronuclei fusion leading to the development of zygote. The compilation of data and salient hypotheses covered by this review provides new insights into perception of the causes of fertility issues due to fertilization disorders using the platform of in silico studies.