Definition
noun
The fertilization of an ovum by more than one sperm.
Supplement
The ovum fertilized by more than one sperm results in having more than two copies of each chromosome — one from the ovum and one each from the sperms. The resulting zygote is often inviable.
Word origin: from polyspermia » Gk polyspermía abundance of seed + –y.
Related forms: polyspermic (adjective)
Compare: monospermy.
See also: fertilization.
Genes are the blueprint of our bodies, a blueprint that creates a variety of proteins essential to any organism's surviv..
Topics Modules Quizzes/Worksheets Description Introduction to Genetics Genetics – Definition: Heredity and ..
This tutorial looks at the relationship between organisms. It also explores how energy is passed on in the food chain an..
Certain species are capable of expressing characteristics indicative of the state of the ecosystem they occupy. They are..
The sea was teeming with life. Eventually, through reproduction and continued variation, fish came about. There are over..
Freshwater ecology focuses on the relations of aquatic organisms to their freshwater habitats. There are two forms of co..