Rare Phenomenon: What Happens When 2 Sperm Fertilize the Same Egg?

[jaxnnux]

Hello,

Quick Q. What happens when 2 sperm fertilize the same egg? Obviously it's extremely rare due the sodium ion channel's ability to quickly change the electric potential across the egg's membrane, preventing polyspermy.

But what would happen if two sperm nailed the egg at EXACTLY the same time?

Thanks.

 

[munky99999]

this interests me. Though i honestly don't know much about it. well anything beyond meiosis and the chromosome diseases.

But your question seems a lot like klinefelter/jacobs where u have a double male Y chromosome.

and well you can study up on those syndromes.

but don't take my word for this. i have no idea if this is how they get it or not.

 

[Moonbear]

Nothing would happen. Due to the chromosome abnormality (triploid instead of diploid), the cell wouldn't survive.

 

[Curious3141]

You might end up with immediate cell death or if the cell persists, you might get a partial hydatidiform mole arising from diandry (two haploid sperms fertilising a haploid ovum giving a triploid zygote).

 

[Moonbear]

You might end up with immediate cell death or if the cell persists, you might get a partial hydatidiform mole arising from diandry (two haploid sperms fertilising a haploid ovum giving a triploid zygote).

Oh, I forgot about moles. Scary because of their correlation to uterine cancer, not to mention that you think you're pregnant and find out it's a nasty clump of tumor-like cells, and a year-long wait before you're allowed to try again.

 

[nipwoni]

In plants, this actually happens sometimes. The offspring ends up triploid, so it sometimes dies, but triploid plants can survive sometimes. They just can't reproduce sexually because everything gets messed up in meiosis.