Expert: Walter Hintz - 11/20/2006

Question
This time, i have a few more questions to ask you, im sorry i bothered you too much, sorry =(

First: A woman might not realize she is pregnant during the first month of her pregnancy. This may put the embryo at risk. Why?

Second: A low rate of sperm production is the cause of one type of infertility. How might in vitro fertilization be used to help achieve a pregnancy in a family with this problem?

Third: Different organisms develop different reproductive strategies ro ensure survival of their species. Describe the advantages provided by each of these reproductive stategies:
a) Moulds produce spores with a resistant coating.
b) The wildebeest gives birth to young that begin running next to the mother a few minutes after birth.
c) Male peacocks have beautiful tail feathers, but they're heavy and require high amouts of energy to produce.
d) Unlike mammals, fish release hundreds of eggs at a time at ovulation.
e) Many earthworms are hermaphrodites.

Thanks so much =)

Answer
Hi terence
She may be using bad habits that can affect the baby such as too much alcohol, smoking or using certain medicines.

 Traveling from the cervix to the oviduct can be a perilous journey for sperms.  I once heard on analogy.  Suppose a million people have to travel on foot from NY to Seattle.in   a given time.  What are the odds of none getting there.  Put the egg in a dish and squirt some semen on it and the odds of fertilization are increased.

 a) hash environmental conditions can dry out spores without a coating

b)The wildebeest is a prey species and young must me mobile
and the are born during migration

c)Despite the weight the tail feathers are necessary for courting or the animal suffers genetic death

d)Fish offer no real protection for developing eggs.  The greater the number the greater the chance that some will survive

e) This is a poor example.  All earthworms have both sexes but they cannot self fertilize