Scientists discovered that men that men play a more vital role in procreation than they may have thought.
Male sperm not only fertilizes the female egg, it also delivers male chromosomes and messenger RNA, molecules that carry codes, which may help the embryo, develop and grow.
A team of American and British scientists disclosed that men have a greater role in early development than it was previously thought. They have identified six messenger RNAs found in sperm and fertilized eggs but not in unfertilized eggs.
The finding suggests that messenger molecules are delivered when the sperm fertilize the egg. It may also improve understanding of infertility and cloning.
It was announced that along with delivering the DNA component, there is an RNA component which is also delivered by men. The paternal RNA plays an important role in the early development of the embryo and believes the research could help to explain why cloning is so difficult.
In cloning, the egg develops without sperm fertilization and although it can be manipulated or 'tricked' in the laboratory some of the time, if the RNA isn't being delivered by the sperm it could explain the very small success rate in cloning.
These findings come as just a month ago the first mammal without using sperm was created. The mouse is the daughter of two female mice.