title: In vitro fertilized human eggs. An electron microscopic study.
abstract: This paper describes by scanning and transmission electron microscopy the ultrastructure of the human fertilized egg and its vestments (cumulus oophorus and zona pellucida). Data are reported on the ultrastructure of a. conventional in vitro fertilized eggs (pronuclear eggs and cleaving eggs at two-to-four cell stage); b. eggs at the same developmental stage deriving fro intracytoplasmic sperm injection. The present results showed that: 1. The cumulus-enclosed fertilized egg is a highly dynamic structure in which egg vestments play a crucial role, positively affecting fertilization and healthy embryo development; 2. Intracytoplasmic sperm injection technique does not seem to significantly alter fertilized egg morphology.
authors.affiliation: Department of Anatomy, Faculty of Medicine, University of Rome La Sapienza, Italy. stefania.nottola@uniroma1.it
authors.forename: S A
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Nottola
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Makabe
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Stallone
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Familiari
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Macchiarelli
authors.forename: P M
authors.initials: PM
authors.lastname: Motta
mesh_terms: D002467:Cell Nucleus / Q000648:ultrastructure; D003593:Cytoplasm / Q000648:ultrastructure; D005260:Female; D005307:Fertilization in Vitro; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008854:Microscopy, Electron; D008855:Microscopy, Electron, Scanning; D008928:Mitochondria / Q000648:ultrastructure; D009865:Oocytes / Q000648:ultrastructure*; D006080:Ovarian Follicle / Q000648:ultrastructure; D020554:Sperm Injections, Intracytoplasmic; D015044:Zona Pellucida / Q000648:ultrastructure