Fertilisation

Fertilisation can be dehned as the fnsion of the nncleus of a sperm with that of the ovnm bnt many biochemical events must occur before this process can take place. 

The ovum possesses two membranes, an onter protective coat (the zona pellncida) and the plasma membrane. The sperm has to traverse both of these membranes to gain access to the nucleus of the ovum. As the sperm approaches the ovum, three biochemical changes occur  

These three changes take several honrs, and the whole process is termed capacitation. These changes allow a sperm to reach the plasma membrane of the ovnm. Then the plasma membrane of the sperm fnses with that of the ovum, the head is engulfed within the membrane of the ovum and the head, and only the head, enters the ovum. Within the ovum, the nucleus of the sperm is released and the two nnclei fuse. A diploid zygote is the result. 

The effects can be mimicked in vitro by a Ca ionophore, an agent that increases Ca ion entry into a cell, plus artificial activation of the phospholipase. 

It is important to emphasise that only the head of the sperm enters, so that it is only the nuclear genetic material that enters the ovum, that is, the genetic material in the mitochondria of the sperm does not enter the ovum and hence it does not appear in the zygote. Consequently, mitochondrial genes are inherited only from the mother. This has implications for some mitochondrial diseases (Chapter 9). 

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Uses of ammonia and ammonium compounds. Most of the ammonia produced is used in the manufaeture of nitrogenous fertilisers such as ammonium sulphate. Other uses include nitric acid and synthetic fibre and plastic manufacture. 

Industrially. phosphoric(V) acid is manufactured by two processes. In one process phosphorus is burned in air and the phos-phorus(V) oxide produced is dissolved in water. It is also manufactured by the action of dilute sulphuric acid on bone-ash or phosphorite, i.e. calcium tetraoxophosphate(V). Ca3(P04)2 the insoluble calcium sulphate is filtered off and the remaining solution concentrated. In this reaction, the calcium phosphate may be treated to convert it to the more soluble dihydrogenphosphatc. CafHjPOjj. When mixed with the calcium sulphate this is used as a fertiliser under the name "superphosphate . 

Others would extend the fertiliser concept to the simultaneous addition of readily biodegradable substrates along with the fertiliser nutrients to stimulate the growth of contaminant-degrading organisms most rapidly, and to aid in the rapid utilisation of the fertiliser nutrients before they might be leached from the contaminated area. The specific requirements for the most efficacious substrates is an area of current research. 

Bloremedia.tlon. Cmde oil and refined products are readily biodegradable under aerobic conditions, but they are only incomplete foods siace they lack any significant nitrogen, phosphoms, and essential trace elements. Bioremediation strategies for removing large quantities of hydrocarbon must therefore iaclude the addition of fertilisers to provide these elements la a bioavailable form. 

At atmospheric pressure and at its melting point, urea decomposes to ammonia, biuret (1), cyanuric acid (qv) (2), ammelide (3), and triuret (4). Biuret is the main and least desirable by-product present in commercial urea. An excessive amount (>wt%) of biuret in fertiliser-grade urea is detrimental to plant growth. 

Fertiliser Materials, Current Industrial Reports, U.S. Department of Commerce, Bureau of the Census, Washington, D.C. 

Commercial Fertilisers—1990, Bulletin Y-216, Tennessee Valley Authority, Muscle Shoals, Ala., 1991. 

G. Hoffmeister and G. H. Megar, "Use of Urea iu Bulk Blends," Proceedings of the 25th Finnual Meeting of the Fertiliser Industry Round Table, Washington, D.C., 1975, pp. 212-226. 

W. J. Pree, B. J. Bond, and J. L. Nevins, ChangingPattems in Mgriculture and Their Effect on Fertiliser Use, Bulletin Y-106, TVA Fertilizer Conference, July 27—28, 1976, Tennessee Valley Authority, Muscle Shoals, Ala. 

The Fertiliser Industry—The Key to WorldFood Supplies, International Fertilizer Industry Association, Paris, 1986. 

Fertiliser Investment and Production Costs, report of the World Bank to the 9th Session of the FAO Commission on Fertilizers, Rome, Feb. 1985. 

The large amount of fluorine values released from phosphate rock in the manufacture of fertilisers (qv) gives a strong impetus to develop fluorine chemicals production from this source (see Phosphoric acid and the phosphates). Additional incentive comes from the need to control the emission of fluorine-containing gases. Most of the fluorine values are scmbbed out as fluorosiUcic acid, H2SiPg, which has limited useflilness. A procedure to convert fluorosihcic acid to calcium fluoride is available (61). 

Slow-Release Fertilizers. Products containing urea—formaldehyde are used to manufacture slow-release fertilisers. These products can be either soHds, Hquid concentrates, orHquid solutions. This market consumes almost 6% of the formaldehyde produced (115) (see Controlled release TECHNOLOGY, AGRICULTURAL). 

Apatite and other phosphorites constitute a substantial resource of rare earths. The REO content is highly variable and ranges from trace amounts to over 1%. Apatite- [1306-05-4] rich tailings of the iron ore at Mineville, New York, have been considered a potential source of yttrium and lanthanides. Rare-earth-rich apatites are found at the Kola Peninsula, Russia, and the Phalaborwa complex in South Africa. In spite of low REO content apatites could become an important source of rare earths because these are processed in large quantities for the manufacturing of fertilisers (qv). 

Ligno sulfonate—metal complexes are weaker complexes than those formed from amine-based complexing agents such as ethylenediaminetetracetic acid (EDTA). They are compatible with most pesticides /herbicides, but thek use in phosphate fertilisers is not recommended. 

Phosphorus [7723-14-0] is a nonmetaUic element having widespread occurrence in nature as phosphate compounds (see Phosphoric acid and phosphates). Fluorapatite [1306-03-4], Ca F(P0 2> is the primary mineral in phosphate rock ores from which useful phosphoms compounds (qv) ate produced. The recovery from the ore into commercial chemicals is accompHshed by two routes the electric furnace process, which yields elemental phosphoms and the wet acid process, which generates phosphoric acid. The former is discussed herein (see Furnaces, electric). Less than 10% of the phosphate rock mined in the world is processed in electric furnaces. Over 90% is processed by the wet process, used primarily to make fertilisers (qv). 

Most of the phosphoms produced as the element is later converted to high purity phosphoric acid and phosphate compounds the remainder is used in direct chemical synthesis to produce high purity products. In contrast, phosphoric acid produced by the wet process is used in lower purity apphcations, especially in fertiliser and to a lesser degree in animal feed (see Feeds AND FEED ADDITIVES). More recendy, a small portion of wet acid is purified in a second process and then also used in high purity acid and phosphate compound apphcations. 

Potassium [7440-09-7] K, is the third, element ia the aLkaU metal series. The name designation for the element is derived from potash, a potassium mineral the symbol from the German name kalium, which comes from the Arabic qili, a plant. The ashes of these plants al qili) were the historical source of potash for preparing fertilisers (qv) or gun powder. Potassium ions, essential to plants and animals, play a key role in carbohydrate metaboHsm in plants. In animals, potassium ions promote glycolysis, Hpolysis, tissue respiration, and the synthesis of proteins (qv) and acetylcholine. Potassium ions are also beheved to function in regulating blood pressure. 

Chemical fertiliser is the predominant market for langbeinite. Comparatively small but increasing amounts of langbeinite are used by the animal feed ingredient industry (see Feeds and feed additives). Producers who supply this market must take special precautions to be sure that any langbeinite intended as an animal feed ingredient meets all USDA specifications for toxic heavy metals and other impurities. 

Markets. Industrial use of ammonia varies according to region. Eor example, industrial usage represents 20% of the ammonia production in the United States and Western Europe, 10% in the USSR, 1—10% in Asia, and 5% in Latin America and North Africa (79). Fertiliser ammonia consumed domestically in most countries is converted to straight or compound fertilisers such as urea, ammonium nitrate, diammonium phosphate, and various grades of mixed fertilisers. However, almost 29% of ammonia nitrogen in the United States is consumed as direct appHcation material. The use of nitrogen solution such as urea and ammonium nitrate (UAN) has also become popular in the United States and the USSR. 

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