Spermatozoa Flashcards
Know the structure of sperm and general characteristics.
-Head: Nucleus, Acrosome, and Postnuclear cap
-Tail: Middle piece, Principal piece, and Terminal piece
Know the characteristics of the head of the sperm
-Nucleus: Oval and Flattened
-Genetic material is nearly inert due to high degree of keratinization.
-At fertilization disulfide cross links are reduced in cytoplasm of oocyte (Glutathione)
Know the characteristics of the acrosome of the sperm
-Covers the anterior ⅔ of the nucleus
-Membrane bound lysosome that contains hydrolytic enzymes
~ Acrosin
~Hyaluronidase
~Zona lysin
~Esterases
~Acid hydrolases
Know the characteristics of the postnuclear cap of the sperm
Membrane component posterior to the acrosome
Middle piece
-Mitochondria arranged in a helical structure.
-Laminated columns: Flexibility for movement.
-9 coarse fibers.
-Axoneme
~9 pairs of microtubules around 2 central filaments (9+9+2)
~Annulus: where the middle piece and the principle come together
Principal piece
Majority of the tail
Terminal piece
Very end of the tail
Know at least 3 sperm abnormalities.
-Primary: head
-Secondary: tail
-Tertiary: Cytoplasmic droplets
Know the specific changes that sperm undergo in the epididymis as they prepare for ejaculation.
-Change in fertility
-development of motility
-nuclear condensation
-loss of cytoplasmic droplet
-Increased disulfide crosslinking
Know the general components of semen.
-Water
-Sperm
-Substrates: Fructose, Sorbitol, Inositol, GCP, and Citric acid
-Inorganic salts: Sodium, Potassium, Calcium, Magnesium, and Chloride
-Proteins
Know the characteristics we look for during a semen evaluation.
-Color
-Volume
-Concentration
-Motility and Viability
-Morphology
How is Concentration evaluated/measured?
-Best determined with a hemocytometer
-Can also be determined with a spectrophotometer, photometer, or fluorometer
How is Motility and Viability evaluated/measured?
-Visual estimation
-Computer aided sperm analysis (CASA)
-Fluorescent dye
Composition of Ejaculate bull
single fraction
Composition of Ejaculate ram
single fraction