Spark of light marks beginning of fertilisation

A “stunning explosion of zinc fireworks” occurs when a human egg is activated by a sperm enzyme, and the size of these “sparks” is a direct measure of the quality of the egg and its ability to develop into an embryo”, the Northwestern University said.

“To see the zinc radiate out in a burst from each human egg was breathtaking”, Professor Theresa Woodroof said, after many years of research. Se is the Thomas J. Watkins Memorial Professor in Obstetrics and Gynecology at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine and director of Northwestern’s Center for Reproductive Science.

One of the pictures showing the spark of light. / Northwestern University.

“All of biology starts at the time of fertilization, yet we know next to nothing about the events that occur in the human. This discovery required a unique partnership between biologists and chemists”, she said. 

The scientists have captured the astonishing ‘fireworks’ on film:

The sequence.

“Not only is it an incredible spectacle, highlighting the very moment that a new life begins, the size of the flash can be used to determine the quality of the fertilised egg”, The Daily Telegraph (UK) reported.

Christian scientists also commented on the discovery. “For me, images released recently by Northwestern University scientists of tiny light flashes signaling the moment of human conception are evocative of a larger, cosmic-sized truth espoused by both science and the Bible. Namely, the creation of the universe itself – the mother of all moments of conception – was likewise marked by an explosion of light”, PhD in Physics, Mathematics and Astronomy Michael Guillen said.