ABSTRACT
For successful fertilization of oocytes by spermatozoa, a set of functionally normal parameters with regard to oocyte and spermatozoon maturity is of paramount importance. In the spermatozoon, besides motility and zona binding, the occurrence of the acrosome reaction is of primary importance in the development of functional capability. However, before spermatozoa are able to undergo the acrosome reaction, essential modifications in cell physiology of the sperm, called capacitation, must occur. Numerous studies have tried to elucidate the precise biochemical and biophysical changes involved in the process determining a spermatozoon’s fertilizing capacity. The normal progress of these changes may display important biomarkers of fertilizing ability, including the ability of the sperm to penetrate the cumulus oophorus, the corona radiata, the zona pellucida (ZP) and the vitelline membrane.
