solution to sea urchin problem

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Tigerlili

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Hey guys,

I was wondering what the consensus on the answer for the sea urchin problem was. The question was "why does the sea urchin develop a membrane after fertilization?" is it to prevent polyspermy???

Thanks!

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this question is kind of difficult. we didn't cover it in my zoology class. are the rest of the bio questions in the real dat easier than this or not?
 
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I actually had a lab where we did this experiment. After fertilization, we actually saw the sperm come close and bounce away from the membrane :laugh:
 
Tigerlili said:
Hey guys,

I was wondering what the consensus on the answer for the sea urchin problem was. The question was "why does the sea urchin develop a membrane after fertilization?" is it to prevent polyspermy???

Thanks!

Well that's kind of a weird question. "Why does the sea urchin develop a membrane after fertilization?" Why is a weird question. It's like saying "Why does an egg undergo cleavage?" It's age-old mystery we'd all like to know - the drive behind life sort of thing.

However, if the question is "What is the function of the fertilization membrane formed by the sea urchin egg after it is penetrated by one sperm?" the answer would be "To provide a long-term block against polyspermy."
 
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