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Biology-Related Homework Help General Biology Topic started by: NotAlice on Jun 25, 2022



Title: What mechanisms prevent interspecies and same-sex breeding?
Post by: NotAlice on Jun 25, 2022
What mechanisms prevent two sperm or two eggs from producing zygotes in all species? Are they the same mechanisms that prevent the sperm of one specie and the egg of another specie from producing a zygote? I read that "different chromosomes" and "different cell surface proteins" prevent interspecies breeding. Aren't "different cell surface proteins" the mechanisms that prevent two sperm or two eggs from producing zygotes? What proteins are they?


Title: Re: What mechanisms prevent interspecies and same-sex breeding?
Post by: bio_man on Jun 25, 2022
Hi Gender Critical (https://biology-forums.com/index.php?action=profile;u=1159734),

One major barrier that prevents the fusion of isolated gametes from different species is the zona pellucida — a glycoprotein-rich coat that surrounds the ovulated oocyte — which exhibits species-specific interactions with sperm. Interestingly, by removing the zona pellucida it was found that oocytes from the Syrian golden hamster (Mesocricetus auratus) had the unusual ability to fuse with acrosome-reacted sperm from several other mammalian species, including mouse, pig and human.

(https://biology-forums.com/gallery/45/6_25_06_22_10_48_32.jpeg) (https://biology-forums.com/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=45189)


Title: Re: What mechanisms prevent interspecies and same-sex breeding?
Post by: NotAlice on Jun 30, 2022
Hi Gender Critical (https://biology-forums.com/index.php?action=profile;u=1159734),
One major barrier that prevents the fusion of isolated gametes from different species is the zona pellucida — a glycoprotein-rich coat that surrounds the ovulated oocyte — which exhibits species-specific interactions with sperm. Interestingly, by removing the zona pellucida it was found that oocytes from the Syrian golden hamster (Mesocricetus auratus) had the unusual ability to fuse with acrosome-reacted sperm from several other mammalian species, including mouse, pig and human.
(https://biology-forums.com/gallery/45/6_25_06_22_10_48_32.jpeg) (https://biology-forums.com/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=45189)

Thank you! What about sperm-sperm and egg-egg interactions? Is there a barrier that prevents two sperm or two eggs from forming a zygote?

@bio_man


Title: Re: What mechanisms prevent interspecies and same-sex breeding?
Post by: bio_man on Jul 1, 2022
The proteins found on the cellular membrane of these gametes are very specific as to which other proteins they can interact with. That is, two sperm don't have the protein–ligand interactions that are needed for a reaction to occur.

Does that help?