Sexual reproduction requires the fusion of sperm cell and oocyte during fertilization to
produce the diploid zygote. In mammals complex changes in the plasma membrane of the
sperm cell are involved in this process. Sperm cells have unusual membranes compared to
those of somatic cells. After leaving the testes, sperm cells cease plasma membrane lipid
and protein synthesis, and vesicle mediated transport. Biophysical studies reveal that lipids
and proteins are organized into lateral regions of the sperm head surface. A delicate …