Spermatozoon

Hello, my name is Samuel the sperm. I will be taking you on a journey today, from how I became a sperm all the way until I make my grand exit. We will start with the process of meiosis, which is how I got to become a spermatozoon. Like any good journey, we have to have a setting. In this instance, we are in the testes, the male reproductive organ that produces sperm. The process of becoming a spermatozoon all starts with a process called interphase. During this time, chromosomal DNA is being replicated. After interphase, each cell has 46 chromosomes, and is therefore called a diploid cell. Each of those chromosomes have two identical strands of DNA. Those two strands of DNA are called “sister chromatids”, and are joined by a centromere. We…

The sperm cell makes it journey through the body to make it to the egg. This article discus the journey this sperm cell will make to get to the egg to fertilize it. It starts with talking about the cell and how it works. As it says in the article “The sperm starts out as a round, immobile cell. An important structure, the "acrosomal body," that will eventually develop highly erosive enzymes--able to dissolve the membranes around other cells--is made by Sertoli cells at the newly-developed head…

Introduction Sea urchin gametes are an excellent model for observing vertebrate development. Sea urchins are a low cost species that can be maintained in a laboratory environment, have external fertilization and have distinct stages for viewing development in offspring. They are external breeders, so when the gametes are mature, they are released into seawater. The seawater carries the gametes where they will fertilize and develop. How does the sperm find the eggs? The jelly coating on the…

1.Introduction Artificial insemination (AI), is a procedure often used in livestock production to facilitate and maximize breeding rates. The first official AI was performed on a bitch in 1784. by an Italian physiologist by the name of Lazzaro Spallanzaniand resulted in the birth of 3 puppies (Ombelet & Van Robays 2015). According to Donoghue & Wishart (2000), in commercial avian species, AI has been a significant reproduction since the 1960’s, namely in commercial turkeys due to increasing size…

A. Size and Structure - sperm, the smallest cell within the human body, are only a few micrometers long. It is composed of a head, midpiece, and tail. Within the head are the nucleus, condensed DNA containing 23 chromosomes, and the acrosome. The acrosome is located at the end of the head and is considered a modified lysozome containing digestive enzymes that are capable of breaking through the outer layer of an egg. The midpiece of the sperm contains mitochondria that produce the energy for the…

investigation to understand why and how intracellular concentration of Ca2+ have an effect in sperm. Ion pumps usually regulate intracellular concentrations of calcium and protons in the sperm cell (14). Intracellular resting concentration of calcium in the sperm is lower (100-200 nM) than in its surrounding extracellular medium (1-2 mM) (15, 16). Ca2+ concentrations are regulated to be lower inside the sperm (14). Within the sperm functionality in the female reproductive tract environment, it…

Darwin’s second observation was that of sexual selection (Hosken & House, 2011). Sexual selection selects for traits that make an individual more successful in finding a mate and producing offspring (Kansehiro, 2009). Most often, this type of selection involves males (Hosken & House, 2011). A prominent example of a male trait that is subject to sexual selection is courtship behaviour (Eberhard, 1994). Courtship allows mates (most often females) to gain information about the quality of their…

Male preference in choosing a potential mate is important knowledge for people trying to find a male mate. Research conducted by the University of Konkuk department of economics member Kitae Sohn indicates that the age of the potential mate plays a significant role in males’ preference, stating that men seek out younger mates. Claiming that the reason behind this is that men seek young women because they are fertile. Kitae Sohn explains reasoning behind this with results of the study in the…

Medical advances in sperm preservation has advanced over the years with sperm still being viable after several years. It is not just the anonymous donor making a deposit at a sperm bank for money, but males preserving their sperm before serving in the military or before getting cancer treatments. They want to preserve their sperm in the event they become infertile or in some cases die. Often if they are in a serious relationship they leave specific instructions on who takes ownership of the…

The day I encountered Major Tenace, my existence altered forever. It was an early brisk morning in November 2003, when I entered the women’s clinic for an annual Papanicolaou test (Pap smear). Surprisingly, Major Tenace inquired did I desire children, and I bellowed a resounding yes. Unfortunately, I was 35, and had not conceived an infant. Immediately following the completion of the Pap smear, we considered the continual separation as a plausible explanation for the absence of conception.…