Hyalin
Encyclopedia
Hyalin is a protein
released from the cortical granules of a fertilized animal egg
. The released hyalin modifies the extracellular matrix
of the fertilized egg to block other sperm from binding to the egg, and is known as the slow-block to polyspermy
. All animals have this slow-block mechanism.
Protein
Proteins are biochemical compounds consisting of one or more polypeptides typically folded into a globular or fibrous form, facilitating a biological function. A polypeptide is a single linear polymer chain of amino acids bonded together by peptide bonds between the carboxyl and amino groups of...
released from the cortical granules of a fertilized animal egg
Egg (biology)
An egg is an organic vessel in which an embryo first begins to develop. In most birds, reptiles, insects, molluscs, fish, and monotremes, an egg is the zygote, resulting from fertilization of the ovum, which is expelled from the body and permitted to develop outside the body until the developing...
. The released hyalin modifies the extracellular matrix
Extracellular matrix
In biology, the extracellular matrix is the extracellular part of animal tissue that usually provides structural support to the animal cells in addition to performing various other important functions. The extracellular matrix is the defining feature of connective tissue in animals.Extracellular...
of the fertilized egg to block other sperm from binding to the egg, and is known as the slow-block to polyspermy
Polyspermy
In biology, polyspermy describes an egg that has been fertilized by more than one sperm. Diploid organisms normally contain two copies of each chromosome, one from each parent. The cell resulting from polyspermy, on the other hand, contains three or more copies of each chromosome -- one from the...
. All animals have this slow-block mechanism.