Human

Human

Humans are the only living species in the Homo genus...

 fertilization is the union of a humanoid egg

Ovum

An ovum is a haploid female reproductive cell or gamete. Both animals and embryophytes have ova. The term ovule is used for the young ovum of an animal, as well as the plant structure that carries the female gametophyte and egg cell and develops into a seed after fertilization...

 and sperm

Spermatozoon

A spermatozoon is a motile sperm cell, or moving form of the haploid cell that is the male gamete. A spermatozoon joins an ovum to form a zygote...

, usually occurring in the ampulla of the uterine tube

Ampulla of uterine tube

The ampulla is the second portion of the uterine tube. It is an intermediate dilated portion, which curves over the ovary.It is the most common site of human fertilization.The word ampulla is from Latin for flask....

. The result of this union is the production of a zygote, or fertilized egg, initiating prenatal development. Scientists discovered the dynamics of human fertilization in the nineteenth century.

The process of fertilization involves a sperm fusing with an ovum—usually following ejaculation

Ejaculation

Ejaculation is the ejecting of semen from the male reproductory tract, and is usually accompanied by orgasm. It is usually the final stage and natural objective of male sexual stimulation, and an essential component of natural conception. In rare cases ejaculation occurs because of prostatic disease...

 during copulation.