CorticalgranulenReaktionen
CorticalgranulenReaktionen, a German term, translates to "cortical granule reactions" in English. This phenomenon is a crucial event in the fertilization of eggs in many animal species, particularly in mammals. Following the fusion of a sperm with the egg's plasma membrane, a wave of calcium ions is released from intracellular stores within the egg. This calcium surge triggers the cortical granules, which are membrane-bound organelles located just beneath the egg's plasma membrane, to fuse with the plasma membrane and release their contents into the perivitelline space.
The primary function of the released cortical granule contents is to establish the "block to polyspermy," a