Through reading, The Importance of Feminist Critique for Contemporary Cell Biology, I found that many issues today between men and women are a result of the biological explanation of the unification of sperm and egg. As early as Aristotle, there is a notion of activity of the sperm and passivity of the egg just waiting to be fertilized. Many stories through out history portray the sperm as being this great hero breaking down barriers and overcoming great obstacles to win its prize, the egg; however, it is the egg in the correct biological sense that latches onto the sperm. This belief is the supported by evidence from a scanning electron microscope that shows that the sperm moves ineffectively from side to side. The idea of the sperm being infallible may have begun in the time of Aristotle but is ever more present today. Sometimes those great warriors just can’t make it upstream, but of course it is never their fault. Even in shows that are watched by primarily females, such as Sex and the City, problems with fertilization are never attributed to the male. It is in fact Trey’s sperm that are being attacked by Charlotte’s uterus. Typical, even on a show with female writers, the female has the problem.

This idea of sperm to egg dominance is not only apparent on a biological level. One leading American geneticist, T.H. Morgan described the relationship of a developing embryo as, “First the nucleus and the cytoplasm conferred; then, the nucleus told the cytoplasm, what to do. The nucleus, like the ideal husband, still had the power and the final decision; but the decision was made only after discussions with the female partner.” How can we live in a society where people can believe in such a statement? Men and women should yes consult with one another, but in no instance does the male get the final say just because of his biological make up and the sperm is thought of as the nucleus of the cell. The part however that I liked most about this article was one of the last few lines by A.J. Heschel, “We become what we think of ourselves.” I guess I really liked those lines because they remind me of all the progress that is being made in science since the days of Aristotle and so much more that is to come.