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.

Male infertility linked to an enzyme complex issue

An enzyme complex present in sperm plasma membranes plays an important role in the overproduction of reactive oxygen species and oxidative stress in sperm with abnormal morphology, researchers have shown.

15 Oct 2012

Females having multiple sexual partners may be more fertile

Researchers have discovered that females that have multiple sexual partners can be more fertile than those that are monogamous and, very surprisingly, that this is the result of an "overproduction" of sons. The study - still only published as a provisional article but already one of the most accessed in BCM Evolutionary Biology - helps to explain a puzzle that has been haunting evolutionary biologist for decades: why during a mating season so many females chase multiple sexual partners when one is enough to fertilize all her eggs and to do it is costly and dangerous.

15 Oct 2012

Researchers discover how indoor mould makes people sick

For more than a decade, it has been known that the fungus Trichoderma longibrachiatum is the most common finding wherever people are suffering from health hazards related to damp building damage. However, it has not been known how this mould - which is typical of most buildings with indoor air problems - harms people's health. Published in September, a study by a team of researchers at the Department of Food and Environmental Sciences of the University of Helsinki explains how microbial metabolites in the living environment cause health problems

12 Oct 2012

Recombinant protein may treat male factor fertility

Male factor infertility resulting in failed oocyte activation from dysfunctional sperm phospholipase C-zeta may be remedied through the use of a recombinant form of the protein, leading to efficient blastocyst formation, say scientists.

8 Oct 2012

UMass Amherst biophysicist receives 2013 Margaret Oakley Dayhoff Award

University of Massachusetts Amherst biophysicist Jenny Ross has won one of the top national honors in her field, the 2013 Margaret Oakley Dayhoff Award, from the Biophysical Society of Rockville, Md. It is given to a woman who has achieved prominence for "substantial contributions to science," while showing very high promise for ideas and leadership in the early stages of her biophysical research career.

3 Oct 2012

Hormone and androgen receptor genes combined affect sperm motility

The combination of alleles for genes encoding the follicle-stimulating hormone receptor and androgen receptor has a significant impact on sperm motility, emphasising the importance of the genes in sperm quality, say Greek scientists.

1 Oct 2012

Male BMI effects embryo quality, IVF outcome

Male body mass index influences pregnancy outcome in couples undergoing in vitro fertilization through its effect on embryo quality rather than on sperm parameters, report researchers.

24 Sep 2012

Marijuana and testicular cancer: an interview with Victoria Cortessis

This is a set of malignancies that arise in germ cells of the testicles, the specialized cells that produce sperm. Taken together, testicular cancers are the most common form of malignancy that occurs in young men (approximately 15 to 35 years of age).

24 Sep 2012

Adding missing protein to infertile human sperm can 'kick-start' its ability to fertilise eggs

Adding a missing protein to infertile human sperm can 'kick-start' its ability to fertilise an egg and dramatically increase the chances of a successful pregnancy, a team of Cardiff University scientists have uncovered.

21 Sep 2012

Disorganized eggs hinder fertility in obese women

Severely obese women are at an increased risk for producing eggs that have multiple spindles and disorganized chromosomes, possibly explaining the reduced fertility in this population, report researchers.

13 Sep 2012

Roughly two in five women in the U.S. do not use any form of birth control: Survey

Roughly two in five women in the United States do not use any form of birth control and many underestimate their risk for pregnancy, according to a recent survey about contraceptive practices in the United States.

13 Sep 2012

Antioxidants improve sperm quality in infertile men

Infertile men may benefit from taking antioxidant supplements to improve sperm quality, study findings suggest.

10 Sep 2012

Surprising new roles for angiotensin converting enzyme

At the 1st ECRC "Franz-Volhard" Symposium on September 7, 2012 at the Max Delbr-ck Center for Molecular Medicine (MDC) in Berlin-Buch, Professor Ken Bernstein reported that in mice an excess of ACE led to a much stronger immune response than usual.

10 Sep 2012

Link between recreational marijuana use and increased risk of testicular cancer

A new study from the University of Southern California (USC) has found a link between recreational marijuana use and an increased risk of developing subtypes of testicular cancer that tend to carry a somewhat worse prognosis.

10 Sep 2012

Researchers turn skin cells into embryonic Sertoli-like cells

Using a stepwise trans-differentiation process, Whitehead Institute researchers have turned skin cells into embryonic Sertoli-like cells.

7 Sep 2012

JQ1 compound dramatically prevents sperm production in mice

Attention men: The day may be coming soon when you can take your own birth control pill with no side effects, according to a study done by a group of scientists that includes a Texas A&M University researcher.

6 Sep 2012

Eat your greens for healthy sperm genes

Men who consume a high amount of certain nutrients may produce healthier sperm than men who do not, an effect that appears to be more pronounced in older men, report US researchers.

3 Sep 2012

Researchers measure highest DDT levels in breast milk from South African nursing mothers

The highest levels ever of DDT in breast milk have been measured in mothers living in malaria-stricken villages in South Africa. The values lie well over the limits set by the World Health Organization. DDT has been used for many years in South Africa, sprayed indoors to fight malaria.

3 Sep 2012

Healthy intake of micronutrients may boost sperm DNA quality in older men

A new study led by scientists from the U.S. Department of Energy's Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (Berkeley Lab) found that a healthy intake of micronutrients is strongly associated with improved sperm DNA quality in older men.

27 Aug 2012