2007-11-30 14:32:31 · 10 answers · asked by Anonymous in Science & Mathematics ➔ Biology
Fertilization occurs only in animals of the "same" species, primarily because of the (lock & key) effect of surface molecules on egg and sperm cells. Before a sperm cell can successfully fertilize the egg, the molecules on the surface of the sperm cell must "lock" with the surface molecules on the egg cell. This only happens when the sperm and egg cell are of the same species. For example, if one attempts to fertilize a human egg with sperm cell from say a dog, the surface molecules on the egg would not match to and lock with the surface molecules on the dog's sperm cells. No fertilization could take place.
I don't know what your knowledge is of biology but these two links describe in a fairly complicated way, just how fertilization occurs at the molecular level.
http://www.britannica.com/eb/article-75886/fertilization
and: Reproduction
http://www.reproduction-online.org/cgi/content/full/127/4/417
2007-11-30 15:28:08 · answer #1 · answered by Bob D1 7 · 2⤊ 0⤋
Short answer, 'no'.
The reason is in the genetic structure of the two. Even though humans are closely related to apes, they can not impregnate one another because the DNA just doesn't match.
Assuming that a successful intercourse took place and that sperm actually encountered an egg, there would be no action because the two are too different. Either the sperm would not penetrate the egg's outer shell or if it did, the combination of DNA helices would not occur.
2007-11-30 14:43:28 · answer #2 · answered by Tiger Toy 4 · 1⤊ 1⤋
According To The Enquirer And Sun Magazine ... Ever Heard Of Bat Boy, Or The Woman Who Fell In Love With A Dolphin And Pregnant With Dolphin-Human Babies? Honestly, It Can't Happen!
2007-11-30 14:44:39 · answer #3 · answered by ? 5 · 1⤊ 1⤋
All members of the human race can have healthy children because the differences in our genes come from adapting to climate and other changes. This is also true for closely related animals such as tigers and lions which can interbreed, as well as horses and donkeys. But as others have explained, humans can't breed with the animals because we've diverged too far from them.
This brings up another interesting situation. Despite Star Trek's interspecies population, we will never be able to bear progeny from another planetary species. They will be even farther away from us genetically than the animals on Earth, with whom we share as much as 95% or more of our common genetic inheritance!!
2007-11-30 21:07:27 · answer #4 · answered by Elaine P...is for Poetry 7 · 1⤊ 1⤋
some people here are forgetting about hybrid animals, such as the mule (donkey/horse), liger (lion/tiger), or zorse (horse/zebra). they are all different species, but they can interbreed to produce offspring.
the most likely chance a human would have impregnating an animal (or vice versa) would be with a chimpanzee, because our DNA is so similar. however, because we do not have the same number of chromosomes, the offspring has an extremely slim chance of being able to reproduce.
2007-11-30 15:42:36 · answer #5 · answered by dracogemini16 2 · 3⤊ 1⤋
No. It has to do with genetics. Thank goodness just think of all the interesting creatures we would have running around.
2007-11-30 18:25:31 · answer #6 · answered by ethology 4 · 1⤊ 1⤋
No. Our genetics is different. Life uses DNA as a universal code, but they ahve different DNA structures and sizes.
2007-11-30 16:08:03 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 1⤋
no.
one simple reason:
we dont have the same number of chromosomes.
2007-11-30 14:58:39 · answer #8 · answered by allie 2 · 1⤊ 1⤋
Research is underway.
2007-11-30 14:42:34 · answer #9 · answered by naseer 3 · 2⤊ 1⤋
No
2007-11-30 14:41:19 · answer #10 · answered by brotherj81 3 · 1⤊ 1⤋