SPERM DEFECTS

Question 1

Terminal tail coil is regarded as ?

Answer 1

a cold-shock effect

Question 2

Sperm cells with short tails often have low or no motility and are called _____ or _____. This tail defect happens during late spermiogenesis or sperm cell formation in the testis. Some patients with DFS also have chronic respiratory disease associated with immotile cilia syndrom; is an autosomal recessive genetic disease connected with abnormal genes that encode for proteins such as the sperm neck centrin 1 protein; has been linked to a higher percentage of sperm aneuploidies or abnormal chromosomes.

Answer 2

Stump tail or dysplasia of fibrous sheath (DFS) sperm

Question 3

An extreme variation of the tapered head sperm is the ______ head sperm with pathologies seemingly different from the tapered head sperm; are seldom identified and they may be due to broken DNA, varicocele or disrupted head formation.

Answer 3

Thin narrow head

Question 4

Have been exposed to either incorrect seminal fluid conditions or the presence of bacteria. These sperm cannot swim, as their tails are damaged. Heavy smoking has been linked to the presence of this sperm defect.

Answer 4

Coiled-tail sperm

Question 5

Have two or more large vacuoles (cyst-like bubbles) or multiple small vacuoles in the sperm head. These ____ ____ are visible under high magnification microscopy. While some studies show this type of sperm has low fertilization potential, other studies have shown no effect. Studies are still in progress.

Answer 5

nuclear vacuoles

Question 6

Sperm with “cigar-shaped” heads that may indicate the presence of varicocele in the male or constant exposure of the scrotum to high temperature locations such as daily hot sauna. Often contain abnormal chromatin or packaging of the paternal DNA genetic material. Abnormal number of sperm chromosomes called aneuploidy has been shown in this sperm defect.

Answer 6

Tapered head sperm

Question 7

Refers to when the sperm has a giant head. These types of sperm often carry extra chromosomes and have problems fertilizing the woman’s egg. Macrocephalic sperm may be caused by homozygous mutation of the aurora kinase C gene. This means that because this kind of sperm abnormality may be genetic, fathers may be able to pass the condition on to their sons

Answer 7

Macrocephaly

Question 8

Sperm can have multiple heads or tails. When the sperm has two heads, it is called a duplicate sperm, a condition linked to exposure to toxic chemicals, heavy metals like cesium, smoke or high prolactin hormone in the male

Answer 8

Multiple parts

Question 9

A variation of the small-head sperm, is when the head appears as a pin with minimal to no paternal DNA content. The presence of this defect may point to a diabetic condition.

Answer 9

Pinhead sperm

Question 10

_______, or round headed sperm condition, is an abnormal sperm morphology that indicates either there is an absence of the acrosome or the sperm is missing inner parts of its head responsible for “activating” or turning on the egg and starting the fertilization process. A variation of this type of sperm is the Decondensing head sperm seen when the sperm prematurely starts to break down its nucleus and the unraveling DNA material fills the entire sperm head.

Answer 10

Globozoospermia

Question 11

When the sperm’s head is smaller than normal, also known as small-head sperm. Small-head sperm may have defective acrosome (a pocket of enzymes in the sperm head used to enter the egg) or reduced genetic material

Answer 11

Microcephaly

Question 12

Called acaudate sperm, and these sperm are often seen during necrosis, the death of most or all of the cells in an organ.

Answer 12

Tail-less sperm

Question 13

Have no head at all and are called acephalic sperm or decapitated sperm syndrome. They do not have genetic material or chromosomes. This type of sperm may look like a pinhead sperm but upon close examination, one can see that there is no tiny sperm head giving the sperm the appearance of a loose piece of string

Answer 13

Headless sperm

Question 14

_____ ____ ____ or sperm neck may be related to defective mitochondria, the energy-making parts of the sperm cell. It may also be a sign that the centrioles, the guidance system for moving chromosomes stored at the sperm neck, may be missing or broken.

Answer 14

Large swollen midpiece