Page 53 - The Miracle of Human Creation
P. 53
An egg cell is 150 microns in size, and is colourless and semi-transparent. (above) It is the
shape of a sphere and its outer part is surrounded by a soft yet tough membrane. Within
the structure of the egg there are extra nutrients like fat, sugar and proteins. This reserve
of nutrients will ensure that the egg cell is nourished on its journey and, if fertilisation oc-
curs, will take care of its needs until it reaches the uterus.
As a result of the divisions by mitosis and meiosis in the egg cell,
three small cells and one large cell (ootid) are produced. The small cells
die from lack of nourishment, while the large cell undergoes some chan-
ges and becomes the egg. If each of these cells were the same size, there
would not be enough of the required nourishment for the development of
the zygote at the end of the fertilisation process. But the fact that one of
the cells has more nourishment, and the others are small prevents such a
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