The moment a sperm cell makes contact with an egg, a hidden biological countdown reaches its final seconds. Also, for years, the secondary oocyte has waited in a state of suspended animation, poised at the edge of division but unable to proceed. The question of what stimulates the secondary oocyte to complete meiosis II lies at the heart of human reproduction, because without this trigger, the genetic blueprint for a new life cannot be properly assembled.
Introduction to Oogenesis and Meiotic Arrest
To understand what stimulates the secondary oocyte to complete meiosis II, it helps to first understand where the cell has been. Oogenesis, the process of egg cell formation, begins long before birth. Female fetuses produce millions of primary oocytes that enter meiosis but become arrested in prophase I Worth keeping that in mind. And it works..
