Male Assisted Reproductive Technologies

Question 1

What is the name given to long-term sperm storage?

Answer 1

Sperm cryopreservation

Question 2

Why is a stable pH important for the storage of sperm?

Answer 2

It helps regulate the environment in which sperm performs metabolism

Question 3

What is the purpose of glycerol in semen storage?

Answer 3

• It reduces the freezing point

Question 4

What is the significance of reducing the freezing point in sperm storage?

Answer 4

• It allows for sperm cells to become suspended without significant ice crystal formation

Question 5

What is the main limit to sexing sperm?

Why?

Answer 5

• Time

- Sperm have to travel in single file line, takes long time with 13 million sperm in one sample

Question 6

What does ICSI stand for?

What is it?

Answer 6

• Intracytoplasmic sperm injection

- Directly implanting an oocyte with a single sperm

Question 7

What is the significance of spermatogoneal stem cell transplantation (SSCT)?

Answer 7

• It allows for the harvesting of stem cells that can be reimplanted after a sterilization event

Question 8

How can we incorporate SSCT in the livestock industry

Answer 8

• Take stem cells from a superior bull
• Sterilize testicles of multiple inferior bulls
• Implant stems cells into their testicles to act as a conduit to produce superior bull sperm

Question 9

(T/F) The phenotype of the inferior bull who’s testicles will be used in SSCT is important

Answer 9

False, only testicular health is important

Question 10

What are two main issues with SSCT?

Answer 10

1. Being able to differentiate between A-spermatagoina that become stem cells vs the ones that continue on path
2. The ethical and medical effects of sterilizing the male

Question 11

What is the ideal way to go about SSCT?

Answer 11

• Growing stem cells in a culture
• Allows for sperm to be grown in a dish
• Thus no intermediate (male testicles) are needed

Question 12

What is the main issue with using the embryo for transgenic manipulation?
Do sperm have this problem?

Answer 12

• We infect only one cell and hope it reaches the gene line

- No, sperm is only one cell

Question 13

Explain the process of transgenic manipulation

Answer 13

• We use a viral DNA vector to get genes from one species DNA into another species DNA

Question 14

What virus is used for transgenic manipulation?

Answer 14

HIV

Question 15

What is the term giving to a virus that becomes a part of a living organisms DNA?

Answer 15

Retrovirus

Question 16

What is the ideal scenario for male contraception?

Answer 16

• Keep testosterone up

- But also have no sperm production