Sperm-Racing

Question 1

Measuring Sperm

• A number of … may be evaluated through analysis of semen
  
  • These may correlate with … with varying degrees; some evidence is controversial
• Specimen is obtained by …, collected in a clean container – (condoms often contain …)

Answer 1

• A number of variables may be evaluated through analysis of semen
• These may correlate with fertility with varying degrees; some evidence is controversial
• Specimen is obtained by masturbation, collected in a clean container – (condoms often contain spermicide)

Question 2

Volume of Sperm

• Normal ejaculated volume is … – … ml
  
  • Volume may be low in … ejaculation, high volume may reflect … or … … inflammation
• … ml is the cut off (WHO 2010)

Answer 2

• Normal ejaculated volume is 1.5 – 6 ml
• Volume may be low in retrograde ejaculation, high volume may reflect abstinence or accessory gland inflammation
• 1.5 ml is the cut off (WHO 2010)​

Question 3

Concentration and Vitality - Sperm

• Sperm concentration, or density, defined as … in the total …
• Normal is over … million per ml
• Vitality: …% or more live spermatozoa

Answer 3

• Sperm concentration, or density, defined as the number of sperm per ml in the total ejaculate
• Normal is over 15 million per ml
• Vitality: 58% or more live spermatozoa

Question 4

Motility of Sperm

• Defined as … of … motile sperm in the …
  
  • … motile means they go somewhere, rather than swim around in circles
• WHO uses …% as the cut off for the lower limit of normal for … motility
• … in repeat samples from individuals and … correlation with fertility

Answer 4

• Defined as percentage of progressively motile sperm in the ejaculate
• Progressively motile means they go somewhere, rather than swim around in circles
• WHO uses 32% as the cut off for the lower limit of normal for progressive motility
• Variation in repeat samples from individuals and poor correlation with fertility

Question 5

Morphology - Sperm

• … assessment of sperm
• Greater than …% normal forms acceptable (WHO 2010)
• Other more stringent criteria exist

Answer 5

• Visual assessment of sperm
• Greater than 4% normal forms acceptable (WHO 2010)
• Other more stringent criteria exist

Question 6

What is shown in the diagram?

Answer 6

Morphology of Sperm

Question 7

What distribution is shown in the table?

Answer 7

Distribution of values for semen parameters from men whose partners became pregnant within 12 months of discontinuing contraceptive use

Question 8

Nomenclature - Semen Analysis

• Normozoospermia - ?
• Oligozoospermia - ?
• Asthenozoospermia - ?
• Teratozoospermia - ?
• Oligoasthenoteratozoospermia - ?
• Azoospermia - ?
• Aspermia - ?

Answer 8

• Normozoospermia - normal values
• Oligozoospermia - low concentration
• Asthenozoospermia - too little motility
• Teratozoospermia - too many abnormals
• Oligoasthenoteratozoospermia - mixture of the three above
• Azoospermia - no spermatozoa
• Aspermia - no ejaculate

Question 9

Testis - what abnormality is shown?

Answer 9

• No spermatozoa (Azoospermia)

Question 10

What is shown?

Answer 10

semen sample stained with papanicolaou stain

Question 11

Testis - what is shown here? (in biopsy)

Answer 11

• Seminiferous tubules lined by sertoli cells
• One looks different - (Darker red bottom right) - biopsy can crush tissue a bit

Question 12

Biopsy of Testis - what is shown?

Answer 12

• Seminiferous tubules - in between vascularised stroma - little Leydig cells
• Lots of sertoli cells and spematogenesis cells
• Higher power is shown below - Spermatids and Spermatazoa forming

Question 13

When doing a biopsy of testis, what is an issue?

Answer 13

The part of tissue is not always truly representative of the whole tissue - some part that you biopsy may be artefact - only see some part mean you may not see all - variations between different seminiferous tubules are present

Question 14

What is shown here?

Answer 14

Vas deferens - excides as a segment in a vasectomy - lumen in middle - lined by epithelial cells - in vasectomy it is blocked/cut to prevent sperm getting into semen

Question 15

What is shown here? (testis)

Answer 15

Vas diferens - high power picture