Sperm capacitation takes place in -

Ans. is 'c' i.e., Female genital tract * After the ejaculation the sperm cells go through several essential physiological changes during their time in the female genital tract before they, at the end, are able to penetrate the oocyte membrane.* The first change in this cascade is capacitation. The sperm cells accomplish this during the ascension through the female genital tract (in contact with its secretions). It has to do with a physiological maturation process of the sperm cell membranes, which is seen as the precondition for the next step to follow, namely the acrosome reaction.* Capacitation is a functional maturation of the spermatozoon. The changes take place via the sperm cell membrane in which it may be that receptors are made available through the removal of a glycoprotein layer. The area of the acrosomal cap is also so altered thereby that the acrosome reaction becomes possible.* Through the membrane alterations, the motile properties of the spermatozoon also change. Discharging whipping movements of the tail together with larger sideways swinging movements of the head take place. This type of motility is designated as hyperactivity. One can therefore say that the visible consequences of capacitation consist in hyperactivity of the spermatozoon.