Fertilisation in humans

• Babies are created by the combination of genetic material from both a mother and a father. This process begins during reproduction when specialised cells from each parent join together.

• Gametes are reproductive cells. 

• The male gamete is the sperm cell, and the female gamete is the egg cell. 

• When a sperm cell and an egg cell meet and combine their genetic material, it’s called fertilisation. Fertilisation is the first step in forming a new organism.

Fertilisation

• Each month, one egg cell is released from a female’s ovary and travels down the oviduct (fallopian tube).

• Cilia (tiny hair-like structures) line the oviduct and help move the egg towards the uterus.

• During sexual intercourse, the male releases sperm into the female’s vagina. 

• The sperm then swim up through the uterus and into the oviduct in search of the egg.

• When a sperm cell meets an egg cell in the oviduct, fertilisation occurs. The head of the sperm enters the egg, combining their genetic material. 

• The fertilised egg then divides several times, forming a cluster of cells known as an embryo.

Implantation