According to biological terms, ovum is a female reproductive cell or gamete or haploid in nature. Reproductive cell having haploid nature means that it contains only one complete set of chromosomes. This word came into existence from Latin terminology, which means egg or egg cell. Ovum is extremely important when it comes to continuing the cycle of life. Only when it is fertilized by the sperm of male, through biological process, new life is created.
Among the higher animals, ovum is produced by the female sexual glands or gonads. In more familiar terms, these female sex glands are known as the ovaries. After its creation from ovaries, they become mature through another biological process, which is known as Oogenesis. Pregnancy happens only at that time when, ovum is fertilized by sperm and embryo is formed, which grows inside the womb. As it grows, it keeps on receiving nutrition from the mother. In this context, an interesting fact needs to be mentioned that ovum is the largest cell in a human body and you can see it by your naked eyes even without taking the aid of a microscope.
When ovum is fertilized by male gamete, also called sperm, it leads to development of an embryo. In case of higher animals including human beings,
the whole process is completed by internal fertilization and among those species where it happens externally, it is known as external fertilization. This entire biological process of development is known as procreation and act of this procreation is known as reproduction.
With enhancement of medical science, several pregnancy related problems among human beings are coming to focus. One of the most important of them is the ‘blighted ovum’ meaning ‘no development in embryo’. Main reason behind formation of such ovum is that a fertilized cell attaches itself to the urine wall and it results in cessation of embryo development. Within first trimester of pregnancy, problem of this blighted ovum occurs. Those women who have high level chromosome abnormalities, usually causes natural miscarriage.
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Ovum also supplies nutrition to offspring during the initial times of development. In fact, it is the main supplier of the endosymbiotic organelles. The growing life within the embryo receives nutrition from this protein as well as from the body of the mother. This protein cannot be produced by nuclear DNA alone and in its production ovum plays a very major role. Ovum is integral to the completion of reproduction process and if the various activities of the ovum are not carried out properly, the new life can suffer various types of abnormalities.
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