Immaculate conception, or parthenogenesis is a modification of sexual reproduction, when the female gamete begins to develop into a new individual without the participation of the male gamete for fertilization. Parthenogenetic reproduction is common in the kingdom of animals, plants, and usually the rate of reproduction increases.
Parthenogenesis in animals and plants
Immaculate conception is of two types - haploid and diploid parthenogenesis, depending on the number of chromosomes in the gamete of the female. Many insects, in particular, ants, wasps and bees, as a result of the first type of reproduction, various communities of organisms arise. With haploid parthenogenesis, meiosis occurs and haploid gametes are created. From fertilized eggs, diploid females can develop, and unfertilized eggs develop haploid fertile males. In a honey bee, for example, the uterus lays such fertilized eggs that give females (working individuals, the uterus), and unfertilized eggs that give males (drones). A similar mechanism of reproduction in insects plays an adaptive role, because it can regulate the appearance of offspring depending on the type of gametes.
Diploid parthenogenesis occurs in aphids. At the same time, female oocytes undergo a special form of meiosis - the chromosomes do not diverge, but pass into the egg cell, without polar chromosomes. The development of eggs is carried out in the mother's body, newborn females are fully formed and do not hatch from eggs. This process of live birth continues for several generations until a cell appears that contains one X chromosome and all autosomes. Parthenogenetic male develops from it. The main advantage of parthenogenesis for aphids is the rapid growth of the population, because its sexually mature members can lay eggs.
The "Immaculate Conception" in various forms is widespread in plants. One of them is called apomixis and is parthenogenesis that mimics sexual reproduction. This form of conception is observed in individual flowering plants, in them the diploid cell develops into a full-fledged embryo without the participation of the gamete of the male individual. In other cases, pollen grain should be present, stimulating parthenogenesis; pollen grains produce hormones necessary for the appearance of the embryo, and such cases are almost no different from sexual reproduction.
Parthenogenesis in humans
Forensic experts are well aware that when exposed to high temperatures, stressful situations and in extreme conditions, a woman's egg can begin the process of division, even if she is not fertilized. There is an opinion that if a woman is ready to conceive, then she can just steam out for a while in the bath, and the egg activates the process of transformation into the body, but, most likely, it is not viable and will soon die.
In the egg ready for fertilization, there are 23 chromosomes that determine sex.
The “Immaculate Conception” occurs when the mature female chromosomes are divided into two halves, forming 46 chromosomes in the egg, which are necessary for the birth of a new life. After this, the process of crushing and development of the embryo, but only of the female sex, can begin.
According to doctors, parthenogenesis in humans occurs when there is a bacterium living in the body of insects, but it can move to the human body, causing egg division and the formation of an embryo. The bacterium destroys male embryos or converts them into female ones.
Many cases have already been recorded when the sex of the human embryo changed under the influence of extreme situations or in hot climates, while the male embryo always changes to female, it never happens in a different way.
Earlier this phenomenon was not heard at all. In any case, the word "parthenogenesis" appeared recently. Christians perceived the “Immaculate Conception” of the Virgin Mary as a miracle. And the fact that it could be an ordinary pregnancy did not occur to anyone.