190k views
5 votes
Meiosis II is not completed until after ovulation, and only if the egg is ________.

User Srfrnk
by
8.2k points

1 Answer

4 votes

Final answer:

A secondary oocyte will complete Meiosis II and form a diploid zygote only if it is fertilized by a sperm. Without fertilization, the oocyte disintegrates and is expelled during menstruation.

Step-by-step explanation:

Meiosis II is not completed until after ovulation, and only if the egg is fertilized. During the female reproductive cycle, a primary oocyte completes meiosis I to become a secondary oocyte, which then begins meiosis II. This process pauses at metaphase of meiosis II and will stay arrested in this stage until fertilization occurs. If a secondary oocyte is fertilized by a sperm while passing through the fallopian tube, it quickly completes meiosis II, ejecting a second polar body, and forming a diploid zygote. If the secondary oocyte is not fertilized, it will not complete meiosis II and will disintegrate, eventually being shed from the body during menstruation.

User Sungguk
by
7.6k points