Sperm News and Research

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The term sperm refers to the male reproductive cells. In the types of sexual reproduction known as anisogamy and oogamy, there is a marked difference in the size of the gametes with the smaller one being termed the "male" or sperm cell. The human sperm cell is haploid, so that its 23 chromosomes can join the 23 chromosomes of the female egg to form a diploid cell.

Do environmental and occupational factors influence semen quality?

New research sheds light on how environmental and occupational factors impact male fertility, revealing that proximity to power lines may enhance semen quality while living near chemical factories could be detrimental. The study emphasizes the need for a deeper understanding of these factors in the context of rising infertility rates.

25 Sep 2023

Weill Cornell Medicine receives NIH grant to lead a national contraceptive research center

Weill Cornell Medicine has received a three-year, nearly $6 million grant to lead one of three national contraceptive research centers.

21 Sep 2023

Mapping the human body one cell at a time: New study reveals the intricate relationship between cell size and count

A study published in PNAS provides a comprehensive look at the relationship between cell size and count across the human body, drawing from over 1,500 sources and identifying around 400 unique cell types. The research reveals an almost inverse relationship between cell size and count, offering a quantitative framework that could serve as a baseline for understanding cellular composition and function in various applications.

19 Sep 2023

New research offers insight about the reason mitochondrial DNA is maternally inherited

New research provides insight about the bedrock scientific principle that mitochondrial DNA -; the distinct genetic code embedded in the organelle that serves as the powerplant of every cell in the body -; is exclusively passed down by the mother.

19 Sep 2023

Researchers identify a rare cause of male infertility and discover a potential cure

Researchers investigated the genetic underpinning of asthenozoospermia, the leading cause of male fertility.

18 Sep 2023

VAI scientists uncover mechanism that annotates genetic information passed from fathers to offspring

Van Andel Institute scientists and collaborators have identified a key part of a mechanism that annotates genetic information before it is passed from fathers to their offspring.

7 Sep 2023

Study reveals biological mechanism behind the impact of fathers' early teenage smoking on offspring

A new study suggests boys who smoke in their early teens risk damaging the genes of their future children, increasing their chances of developing asthma, obesity and low lung function.

30 Aug 2023

Vegetarianism: what are the health benefits?

Researchers described the health benefits of vegetarian diets.

21 Aug 2023

Scientist receives $6.8M grant to study how environmental chemicals increase CVD risk

Exposure to environmental chemicals, including those in common plastic products, has been linked with an increased risk of cardiovascular disease, or CVD, the leading cause of death worldwide. According to the World Health Organization, 17.9 million people died from CVDs in 2019.

16 Aug 2023

High-level BPA exposure may affect male fertility

Scientists discuss the effect of bisphenol A on human male fertility.

9 Aug 2023

Sperm packaging proteins may hold key to male infertility

Sperm play a critical role in the creation of new life, delivering essentially half of the genetic material required.

31 Jul 2023

Drosophila study pinpoints a genetic cause for virgin birth for the first time

Scientists have pinpointed a genetic cause for virgin birth for the first time, and once switched on the ability is passed down through generations of females.

28 Jul 2023

Epigenetic formatting of satiety gene may increase risk of obesity in women

What determines whether we become overweight? Aside from lifestyle, predisposition plays a role, but genes cannot fully explain the inherited propensity to accumulate excess weight.

19 Jul 2023

Tight junctions between cells may play a critical role in gastrulation in human embryos

As a human embryo grows, a set of molecules directs cells as they multiply and take on specific identities and spatial positions within the embryo.

18 Jul 2023

Season and sunshine hours may affect live birth rates after IVF

The time of year when eggs are collected from women's ovaries during fertility treatment makes a difference to live birth rates, according to new research published today (Thursday) in Human Reproduction, one of the world's leading reproductive medicine journals.

5 Jul 2023

Reproductive impact of changes in the vaginal microbiome of obese women

Study explores the impact of obesity on vaginal microbiota and reproduction.

5 Jul 2023

Illuminating how children inherit parents’ stressful experiences

Most of us learned in high school that people get half their genes from their father and half from their mother. That's true, but it turns out the way parents contribute to their offspring's genetics is more complicated—and more intriguing.

27 Jun 2023

More women opting for single embryo transfer during fertility treatment

More women are having just one embryo transferred per cycle of fertility treatment to get pregnant, according to research presented at the 39th annual meeting of the European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology.

27 Jun 2023

Elective oocyte cryopreservation may be a promising option for women who want to delay parenthood

More than 40% of women who chose to freeze their eggs in their 30s were able to have babies later in life when they returned to the fertility clinic, according to research presented today (Monday) at the 39th annual meeting of the European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology (ESHRE).

26 Jun 2023

New study warns of dangers of gene editing in human embryos

Scientists have discovered that the cells of early human embryos are often unable to repair damage to their DNA.