Sperm Morphology and Evaluation

Question 1

What two parts compose the head of a sperm?

Answer 1

1. Nucleus.
2. Acrosome.

Question 2

What two things compose the midpiece of a sperm?

Answer 2

1. Mitochondria.
2. Annulus-terminal end.

Question 3

What are the three parts of a sperm?

Answer 3

1. Head.
2. Midpiece.
3. Principle piece.

Question 4

What two parts compose the tail of a sperm?

Answer 4

1. Midpiece.
2. Principle piece.

Question 5

How should sperm move?

Answer 5

By rotating in a corkscrew fashion.

Question 6

What could the head of the sperm of most domestic animals be described as?

Answer 6

Relatively flat.

Question 7

What does the plasma membrane of the sperm cover?

Answer 7

The entire sperm, including the tail.

Question 8

When the sperm is exposed to a hypotonic solution, what should the plasma membrane do?

Answer 8

It should cause the tail of the sperm to curl.

Question 9

What part of the sperm head is not covered by the acrosome?

Answer 9

The postnuclear cap.

Question 10

What are the layers of the sperm head from outermost to innermost?

Answer 10

1. Plasma membrane.
2. Outer acrosomal membrane.
3. Inner acrosomal membrane.
4. Nuclear membrane.

Question 11

What two enzymes does the acrosome contain?

Answer 11

1. Acrosin.
2. Hyaluronidase.

Question 12

What is the function of acrosin?

Answer 12

It dissolves a hole in the zona pellucida.

Question 13

What is the function of hyaluronidase?

Answer 13

It dissolves the hyaluronic acid in between the cumulus cells.

Question 14

Does one sperm fertilize the oocyte?

Answer 14

No, some sperm make an opening in the cumulus, and others make an opening in the zona pellucida. This allows the sperm following behind these sets to go through both the cumulus and the zona pellucida without using up these enzymes, allowing one of those sperm to fertilize the oocyte.

Question 15

What is the capitulum?

Answer 15

The part of the midpiece that anchors into the head of the sperm.

Question 16

What is the function of the laminated columns?

Answer 16

Motility.

Question 17

What is the function of the axoneme?

Answer 17

Generates movement.

Question 18

What is the structure of the mitochondrial helix?

Answer 18

Spiral shaped.

Question 19

What is the color of normal semen?

Answer 19

White to cream to light grey.

Question 20

What does yellow semen indicate?

Answer 20

The presence of urine.

Question 21

What does clear or thin semen indicate?

Answer 21

Fewer sperm.

Question 22

What does pink/red semen indicate?

Answer 22

The presence of blood.

Question 23

What is the volume of ejaculate related to?

Answer 23

The species.

Question 24

How is the concentration of sperm measured?

Answer 24

Sperm/mL.

Question 25

What is the gold standard for sperm concentration analysis? Why?

Answer 25

1. A hemocytometer.
2. It can be used on raw or extended sperm.

Question 26

What apparatuses can measure the concentration of raw sperm only?

Answer 26

1. Photometer.
2. Fluorometer.
3. Spectrophotometer.

Question 27

What is an evaluation of motility also an evaluation of?

Answer 27

Viability.

Question 28

How is motility assessed?

Answer 28

Visually and rounding up to the nearest 5%.

Question 29

What is total motility?

Answer 29

All the moving sperm.

Question 30

What is progressive motility?

Answer 30

All the sperm moving in a straight line.

Question 31

Which type of motility should always be higher?

Answer 31

Total.

Question 32

What does CASA stand for?

Answer 32

Computer Aided Sperm Analysis.

Question 33

What is the key part of obtaining useful data from sperm analysis?

Answer 33

Sample preparation.

Question 34

What are the morphology defects in scheme A?

Answer 34

Primary: Head abnormalities.
Secondary: Tail abnormalities and cytoplasmic droplets.

Question 35

What are the morphology defects in scheme B?

Answer 35

Primary: Head abnormalities.
Secondary: Tail abnormalities.
Tertiary: Cytoplasmic droplets.