What happens to fertilize an egg?

Answer 1

To answers your question we must first explore the cells involved in fertilization and how they are produced. The male gamete, special cells used to reproduce that contain only 23 chromosomes, are called sperm cells. Sperm cells are produce in a part of the testes that are basically tiny tubes. Males only begin to produce these sperm cells after puberty. This is any where from 10 to 16 years of age for males. Females on the other hand are born with all the eggs cells or ova they will ever have. Like the male's gametes the female's gametes contain only 23 chromosomes. Around the age of 11 to 15 years old females begin to have their period. Most people commonly associate this with the beginning of ovulation, or when females release eggs to be fertilized into the fallopian tubes. However menstruation can be very irregular for the first 6 to 24 months after the first menstrual cycle has occurred. Once both males and females are able to produce mature gametes fertilization can occur. Fertilization occurs after a sperm cell penetrates an ovum and combines with it. This forms a cell that has 46 chromosomes and is known as a zygote. It is important to note that the two cells must combine, not simply sperm egg penetration. Sperm and ova can be combined by traditional means i.e. sexual replication, or alternative means such as in vitro fertilization or intracytoplasmic sperm injection.