fertilizationcompetent

Fertilization-competent is an adjective used in biology to describe a cell or gamete that is capable of successfully participating in fertilization and initiating zygote formation. The term is often applied in both animal and plant reproduction, and its precise meaning depends on the biological context.

In animals and humans, fertilization competence is most commonly discussed in relation to sperm and oocytes. Sperm are considered fertilization-competent when they exhibit sufficient motility, proper morphology, intact acrosomes, and intact DNA, and when they can undergo capacitation and acrosome reactions that enable penetration of the zona pellucida and fusion with the oolemma. Oocytes are fertilization-competent when they are mature (usually metaphase II in mammals) and possess the cellular machinery required for sperm binding, oocyte activation, pronucleus formation, and subsequent embryo development. Assessments of fertilization competence often involve functional assays such as fertilization rates in vitro, alongside quality checks like motility analyses or oocyte maturation status.

In plants, fertilization competence refers to pollen grains or pollen tubes that can germinate, grow through the stigma and style, and deliver sperm cells to the ovule for fertilization. Plant fertilization competence is commonly evaluated through pollen viability tests and in vitro pollen tube growth.

Overall, fertilization competence is a context-dependent measure of a cell’s ability to participate in fertilization, rather than an intrinsic fixed property, and it can be influenced by age, storage, handling, and genetic or environmental factors.