Theriogenology > Evaluating Semen > Flashcards

Evaluating Semen Flashcards

(32 cards)

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1
Q

How can a semen sample be obtained for evaluation?

A
  • Artificial Vagina (AV)
    • stallion
    • trained bull
  • Manual stimulation into receptable
    • Dog
    • Boar
  • Electroejaculation
    • Bull
    • Billy / Ram
    • Wildlife (anesthetized)
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2
Q

What is an artificial Vagina?

A
  • Interior compartment is filled with warm water (110F / 44C)
  • Provides temperature stimulation and pressure stimulation
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3
Q

What is the minimum recommended motility for semen?

A
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4
Q

How is sperm viability tested?

A
  • Sperm must be viable to fertilize an oocyte
    • Criteria to define viable sperm are not clear
  • Viability stains rely on permeable plasma membrane to define a non-viable sperm
    • Measures only a single aspect of viability
    • Only modest correlations have been reported between this type of viability measurement and fertility
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5
Q

what stains can be used for viability testing?

A
  • Eosin
  • Propidium iodide
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6
Q

What initiates abnormal sperm morphology

A

insult that causes ‘stress’ results in specific abnormalities to germ cells in specific phase of development/maturation

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7
Q

What are the inherited sperm abnormalities?

A
  • Knobbed defect
  • Dag defect
  • Tail Stump defect
  • Azoospermia / Oligospermia
  • Decapitated defect
  • Rolled head / Nuclear crest / Giant head syndrome
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8
Q

How are sperm abnormalities classified?

A
  • Based on origin (testicular / extra-testicular)
  • Based on Significance (major / minor)
  • Based on Functional contribution to Infertility
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9
Q

When using the Origin Classification System for Sperm morphology what are the different types of abnormalities?

A
  • Primary abnormalities - believed to arise during spermiogenesis in the seminiferous tubules due to pathological processes in the seminiferous epithelium
    • Abnormal heads, abnormal midpieces, proximal cytoplasmic droplets
  • secondary abnormalities - believed to arise after the sperm cells leave the testis such as abnormal epididymal function
    • bent tails, coiled tails
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10
Q

When using the Significance Classification System for Sperm morphology what are the different types of abnormalities?

A
  • Major - those that have bee correlated to impaired fertility
  • Minor - those that seem to be of minor importance
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11
Q

When using the Functional Contribution Classification System for Sperm morphology what are the different types of abnormalities?

A
  • Compensable abnormalities - those defects that cause an affected sperm cell to fail to reach and fertilize the ovum
    • increasing the dose of sperm for AI will result in more total normal sperm and improved fertility
  • Un-compensable abnormalities - those defects that don’t prevent the cell from reaching and fertilizing the ovum, but that prevent normal development of the embryo
    • Increasing dose of sperm for AI will result in the same % of abnormal sperm and the same fertility
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12
Q

Is this sperm abnormal? if so name the abnormality and classification.

A
  • Distal Midpiece Reflex
  • Minor - secondary Abnormality
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13
Q

Is this sperm abnormal? if so name the abnormality and classification.

A
  • Coiled Tail
  • Minor - secondary Abnormality
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14
Q

Is this sperm abnormal? if so name the abnormality and classification.

A
  • Detached Head
  • Minor - secondary Abnormality
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15
Q

Is this sperm abnormal? if so name the abnormality and classification.

A
  • Not abnormal
  • Distal Droplet
  • Minor - secondary Abnormality
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16
Q

Is this sperm abnormal? if so name the abnormality and classification.

Study These Flashcards
A
  • Elongated Head
  • Major - Primary Abnormality
17
Q

what is

Study These Flashcards
A
  • Misshapen Head
  • Major - Primary Abnormality
18
Q

Is this sperm abnormal? if so name the abnormality and classification.

Study These Flashcards
A
  • Proximal Droplet
  • Major - Primary Abnormality
19
Q

Is this sperm abnormal? if so name the abnormality and classification.

Study These Flashcards
A
  • Pyriform Head and Bent Midpiece
  • Major - Primary Abnormality
20
Q

Is this sperm abnormal? if so name the abnormality and classification.

Study These Flashcards
A
  • Reversed Tail
  • Minor - Secondary Abnormality
21
Q

Is these sperm abnormal? if so name the abnormality and classification.

Study These Flashcards
A
  • Misshaped head
  • loose tail with droplet in loop
  • loose head
22
Q

Is this sperm abnormal? if so name the abnormality and classification.

Study These Flashcards
A
  • Mid-piece defect
  • Major - Primary Abnormality
23
Q

Is this sperm abnormal? if so name the abnormality and classification.

24
Q

What is this cell that may be seen when evaluating sperm?

Study These Flashcards
A
  • Not sperm ⇢ Medusa cell
  • not supposed to be in the ejaculate
  • >1 should NOT happen - bad sample
25
What is this cell that may be seen when evaluating sperm?
* round cell - cant tell until diff-quicked * could be: * germ cells * epithelial cells * WBC * etc
26
What are the limitations of a Breeding Soundness Exam?
* Only reflects the breeding soundness on the day tested * The sperm cells seen today were begun weeks ago * Does not predict ability to cause conception in the future * Better at identifying subfertile males than highly fertile males * Many factors affecting fertility are not measured
27
What are the strengths of a Breeding Soundness Exam?
* Guarantees that known sub-fertile males are not used for breeding * Removes sub-fertile males from the genetics of herd and breed * Over time - heard and breed fertility is increased
28
What additional fertility tests are there for males?
* Thermography * Ultrasound * Computer Aided Sperm Analysis (CASA)
29
What is Thermography?
* Thermoregulation of tests of major domestic species is essential * If scrotal surface temperature is high and/or displays little decrease as one moves from top to bottom of scrotum * more abnormal sperm * fewer pregnancies
30
What does ultrasound evaluate in a male breeding soundness exam?
evaluate/detect fibrosis, soft areas, spermatoceles
31
What is Computer Aided Sperm Analysis (CASA)
* Software programs that utilize video capture form a microscope video recorder * Usually phase-contrast or darkfield scope * More repeatable than subjective methods * Motility characteristics can be altered by: * dilution * image settings * semen viscosity and ionic composition * temperature extremes * Percentage live sperm not highly correlated to fertility
32
How should frozen semen be evaluated
* Much slower motility * want \>50% linear motility * Evaluate at thaw and 2 hours post-thaw * If AI uses few sperm cells and many are damaged how do we get any females pregnant * deposit semen in uterus (beyond cervix) rather than vagina
Theriogenology
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