Skip Navigation

This Article
Right arrow Full Text Freely available
Right arrow FREE Full Text (PDF ) Freely available
Right arrow Submit a response
Right arrow Alert me when this article is cited
Right arrow Alert me when eLetters are posted
Right arrow Alert me if a correction is posted
Services
Right arrow Email this article to a friend
Right arrow Similar articles in this journal
Right arrow Similar articles in ISI Web of Science
Right arrow Similar articles in PubMed
Right arrow Alert me to new issues of the journal
Right arrow Add to My Personal Archive
Right arrow Download to citation manager
Right arrow Search for citing articles in:
ISI Web of Science (14)
Right arrowRequest Permissions
Google Scholar
Right arrow Articles by Magerkurth, C.
Right arrow Articles by Michelmann, H.W.
Right arrow Search for Related Content
PubMed
Right arrow PubMed Citation
Right arrow Articles by Magerkurth, C.
Right arrow Articles by Michelmann, H.W.
Social Bookmarking
Add to CiteULike   Add to Connotea   Add to Del.icio.us  
What's this?

Human Reproduction, Vol. 14, No. 4, 1057-1066, April 1999
© 1999 European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology

Scanning electron microscopy analysis of the human zona pellucida: influence of maturity and fertilization on morphology and sperm binding pattern

C. Magerkurth1, E. Töpfer-Petersen3, P. Schwartz2 and H.W. Michelmann1,4

1 Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology and 2 Department of Anatomy, University of Goettingen, Robert-Koch-Str. 40, 37075 Goettingen and 3 School of Veterinary Medicine Hannover, Buenteweg 15, 30559 Hannover, Germany

Human oocytes from the same as well as from different patients have an extremely heterogeneous morphology of the zona pellucida surface as shown by scanning electron microscopy. For years it has been believed that this heterogeneous morphology plays an important part in the sperm–oocyte interaction. It was the aim of this investigation to analyse the morphology and the sperm binding patterns of the human zona pellucida. Oocytes were divided into four categories: mature, immature, fertilized and unfertilized. Four different types of zona morphology were detectable. They ranged from a porous, net-like structure to a nearly smooth and compact surface. No correlation could be established between zona type and oocyte maturity or zona type and achieved fertilization. However, fertilized (polyploid) oocytes had a more compact and smooth zona surface than unfertilized ones. The analysis of the number and distribution patterns of bound spermatozoa on the zona pellucida revealed extremely variable patterns regardless of the zona morphology. Significant differences between mature and immature oocytes did not appear. In both groups there were oocytes with either no or numerous bound spermatozoa on the zona pellucida. Oocytes overloaded with spermatozoa could only be found in the mature group. Unfertilized oocytes had fewer bound spermatozoa on average than polyploid zygotes.

Key words: human/IVF/oocyte/scanning electron microscopy/zona pellucida

4 To whom correspondence should be addressed


Add to CiteULike CiteULike   Add to Connotea Connotea   Add to Del.icio.us Del.icio.us    What's this?


This article has been cited by other articles:


Home page
 Hum ReprodHome page
Y. Shen, T. Stalf, C. Mehnert, U. Eichenlaub-Ritter, and H.-R. Tinneberg
High magnitude of light retardation by the zona pellucida is associated with conception cycles
Hum. Reprod., June 1, 2005; 20(6): 1596 - 1606.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

Home page
 Mol Hum ReprodHome page
K. Nayernia, I. M. Adham, R. Shamsadin, C. Muller, U. Sancken, and W. Engel
Proacrosin-deficient mice and zona pellucida modifications in an experimental model of multifactorial infertility
Mol. Hum. Reprod., May 1, 2002; 8(5): 434 - 440.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]


Disclaimer: Please note that abstracts for content published before 1996 were created through digital scanning and may therefore not exactly replicate the text of the original print issues. All efforts have been made to ensure accuracy, but the Publisher will not be held responsible for any remaining inaccuracies. If you require any further clarification, please contact our Customer Services Department.