Expert: Walter Hintz - 3/14/2008

Question
Of what advantage is the formation of many more sperm than egg cells?


Explain the difference between metamorphosis and parthenogenesis.


What are the advantages of sperms that can move about?


Explain how one insects goes about finding its mate and reproducing.  

Answer
Hi tana
The sperms must locate the egg which is immobile and the odds of a single sperm finding it are not great so a lot of them re required..  Also in mammals the egg is surrounded by a protein shield called the corona radiata that sperms cannot penetrate until a proteolytic enzyme dissolves the shell. The enzyme is carried by sperms and it takes a lot of sperms to secrete enough enzyme

Metamorphosis is a change in body form.  Parthenogenesis is development of an egg without fertilization

As I stated in question one the egg does not move.  If the sperm did not move there would be no fertilization

Insects find mates by secreting external hormones called pheromones