Emily Martin – The Egg and the Sperm

Egg and Sperm: A Scientific Fairy Tale:

 Menstruation is viewed as a “waste” while spermatogenesis is viewed as a “remarkable”
process. Despite menstruation causing the loss of a single egg while spermatogenesis
causes millions of sperms to be wasted.
 The male “continuously produces fresh sperms” while the female has “stockpiled germ
cells by birth and is faced with their degeneration”. In this regard, production of sperms is
viewed to be superior to the production of eggs.
 The sperm is viewed to be “masculine” and “active” with “strong tails” who “penetrate
the egg”. While the egg is viewed to be “feminine” and “passive”, which is “swept” in the
tubes.
 The sperm “rescues” the egg by inseminating it.
New Research, Old Imagery:
 Even after it was found that the zona had an active role in the process and was a sperm
catcher, this discourse continued for some time.
 When the discourse shifted to acknowledge the egg’s active role in fertilization, the egg
was given a disturbingly aggressive appearance.
 The models the biologists use to describe their data can have important social effects.