Sperm

As It Happens6:50Frozen sperm could help bring these giant sea stars back from the brink of extinctionMelissa Torres spent her Valentine's Day helping to usher new life into the world — in the form of millions of fertilized sea star eggs.Torres is part of a team that, on Feb. 14, successfully spawned and cross-fertilized sperm and eggs from male and female sunflower sea stars at the Birch Aquarium at Scripps Institution of Oceanography in California. It's a major step in a massive effort by scientists, governments and…

A new study by the Salk Institute presents a groundbreaking non-hormonal and reversible male contraceptive method using HDAC inhibitors to block sperm production without affecting libido. This method, targeting the regulation of gene expression in sperm production, promises fewer side effects and fully reversible fertility, indicating a significant advance in the development of male contraceptives.Administering an HDAC inhibitor orally stopped sperm production and fertility in mice without impacting their libido.Surveys…

Researchers discovered that DDT exposure in fathers is linked to sperm changes that could affect their children’s health, emphasizing the significance of paternal environmental exposures and the urgent need for safer malaria control solutions.A study led by McGill University has found that exposure to DDT may lead to alterations in the inheritable epigenome of sperm, potentially increasing the risk of birth defects and diseases.In a study that signals potential reproductive and health complications in humans, now and for…

With their whip-like tails, human sperm propel themselves through viscous fluids, seemingly in defiance of Newton's third law of motion, according to a recent study that characterizes the motion of these sex cells and single-celled algae.Kenta Ishimoto, a mathematical scientist at Kyoto University, and colleagues investigated these non-reciprocal interactions in sperm and other microscopic biological swimmers, to figure out how they slither through substances that should, in theory, resist their movement.When Newton…

Scientists have boosted the motility of sluggish sperm by up to 266%, by blasting the cells with noninvasive, 40-MHz ultrasound waves to induce movement. Capturing the technique's impact on individual sperm cells, the study opens the door to new non-invasive fertility treatments. Encasing single sperm cells in microdroplets for the first time, researchers from Australia's Monash University have demonstrated how 20-second bursts of ultrasound 'revived' immotile sperm, spurring 59% of the treated individuals into action.…

The moment when a slithering sperm propels itself head-first into a gelatinous egg is one of sudden change. Within seconds to minutes, chemical changes in the egg's membrane and outer coat are enacted to block any more sperm from attaching to and entering the oocyte.A series of reactions also takes place as the sperm and egg recognize each other, chemically speaking, and then begin to merge their membranes together. But despite the significance of these delicate molecular events, their details haven't been fully…

Recent research highlights a significant lack of awareness among young male gym-goers regarding the impact of their lifestyle, particularly protein supplement use, on fertility. The study underscores the need for better understanding and education about male reproductive health and the risks associated with certain gym supplements.Three out of four people would alter their exercise routines or supplement usage if they were aware of its long-term impacts.Many young men who frequent the gym are often not fully informed…

January 1, 20242min readScientists discover why fathers usually don’t pass on their mitochondria’s genomeBy Sneha Khedkar Credit: Kateryna Kon/Science SourceAlmost every human cell is powered by mitochondria, bean-shaped organelles that use oxygen to synthesize usable energy. These structures evolved billions of years ago from free-swimming bacteria that were engulfed by some of humanity's earliest ancestors. Because of this history, mitochondria still have their own ring-shaped DNA—completely separate from the 23…

Researchers at Michigan State University have discovered that the cytoplasmic droplet in sperm is crucial for storing proteins vital for fertility, controlled by a protein trafficking system influenced by the SYPL1 gene. This breakthrough could have significant implications for fertility research and control.Researchers at Michigan State University have unraveled the enigma of a lesser-understood sperm structure known as the cytoplasmic droplet (CD). The CD, characterized by an enlarged cytoplasm—a viscous, gelatinous…

Sperm whales live in structured clans similar to early humans, according to new research. Hal Whitehead, the sole author of the study and a professor at Dalhousie University, said the clan systems are matrilineal and average roughly 20,000 females per clan.The discovery will help understand the marine mammals' cultural system and non-vocal behaviour, he said."We often, as biologists, try to make sense of what we see by comparing species. And as we looked for parallels with the clans, the closest thing we could find was…