Amazing: Scientists reveal “zinc fireworks” at moment of human conception

At the moment male and female human gametes meet to create a new, unique human being, a light show of sorts takes place.

Researchers at Northwestern University have recorded this phenomenon for the first time in human conception.  Witness what happens at the stunning moment of conception, below:

 

“Sparks literally fly when a sperm and an egg hit it off,” said Northwestern’s Megan Fellman.  “The fertilized mammalian egg releases from its surface billions of zinc atoms in ‘zinc sparks,’ one wave after another, a Northwestern University-led interdisciplinary research team has found.”

The team of scientists at Northwestern conducted truly ground-breaking research which gleaned a first-ever look at the fireworks spectacle that occurs at the moment of fertilization.  Said Fellman: Using cutting-edge technology they developed, the team is the first to capture images of these molecular fireworks and pinpoint the origin of the zinc sparks: tiny zinc-rich packages just below the egg’s surface.

The initial report, in the journal Nature Chemistry, was released in 2014, but has recently made international headlines since being picked up by mainstream outlets.  The original study article is entitled, Quantitative mapping of zinc fluxes in the mammalian egg reveals the origin of fertilization-induced zinc sparks.

Dr. Donna J. Harrison, Executive Director of the American Association of Pro-Life Obstetricians & Gynecologists (AAPLOG) remarked in an email that, “This adds yet another scientific insight confirming the fact that a unique human life starts at fertilization.”

Perhaps we can all take a cue from nature’s celebration of human Life and share the same exuberance – never negativity – when we learn that a new member of the human family has been created.