Species specificity in fertilization.

Abstract

In his classical monograph, Problems of Fertilization, Lillie (1919) devoted a chapter to the problem of specificity in fertilization which, nearly 40 years later, Rothschild (1956) commended to all students of fertilization. In summing up his own chapter on “Specificity”, Rothschild considered the only advances to have been made since Lillie’s contribution were (1) more information about the immunological nature of the reactions between the gametes, (2) more information about the nature of immunological reactions in general, and, possibly, (3) the development of techniques for the quantitative study of interspecific and intergeneric cross–fertilization. Over the past few years, however, notable advances have been made in this field, particularly with reference to mammals, and it is with these that this chapter will be concerned. First, though a few general comments will be made.KeywordsZona PellucidaSperm HeadEpididymal SpermatozoonOryctolagus CuniculusSperm CapacitationThese keywords were added by machine and not by the authors. This process is experimental and the keywords may be updated as the learning algorithm improves.