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Changes in the sperm surface during maturation in the epididymis

  • Chapter
Ultrastructure of Reproduction

Part of the book series: Electron Microscopy in Biology and Medicine ((EMBM,volume 2))

Abstract

Mammalian spermatozoa are released into the lumen of the seminiferous tubule after completing a prolonged and complex process of differentiation. Although the resultant cells are highly specialized in structure and function, they are immature, being neither motile nor capable of fertilizing an oocyte. After leaving the testis, sperm rapidly move into the epididymis where they remain for several days. During passage through the epididymis, sperm achieve functional maturity, developing both the capacity for forward motility and for effecting fertilization of an ovum (l–4).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Anatomy, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, 37232, USA

    Gary E. Olson

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Molecular, Cellular and Developmental Biology, University of Colorado, Boulder, Colorado, USA

    Jonathan Van Blerkom Ph.D.

  2. Department of Anatomy, Faculty of Medicine, University of Rome, Viale R. Elena 289, 00161, Rome, Italy

    Pietro M. Motta M.D., Ph. D.

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© 1984 Martinus Nijhoff Publishers, Boston, The Hague, Dordrecht, Lancaster

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Olson, G.E. (1984). Changes in the sperm surface during maturation in the epididymis. In: Van Blerkom, J., Motta, P.M. (eds) Ultrastructure of Reproduction. Electron Microscopy in Biology and Medicine, vol 2. Springer, Boston, MA. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4613-3867-3_9

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4613-3867-3_9

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