Sperm News and Research

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The term sperm refers to the male reproductive cells. In the types of sexual reproduction known as anisogamy and oogamy, there is a marked difference in the size of the gametes with the smaller one being termed the "male" or sperm cell. The human sperm cell is haploid, so that its 23 chromosomes can join the 23 chromosomes of the female egg to form a diploid cell.

Unveiling the Evolutionary Origins of Bilaterian Species

700 million years ago, a remarkable creature emerged for the first time. Though it may not have been much to look at by today's standards, the animal had a front and a back, a top and a bottom.

16 Apr 2024

New Virus Offers Hope for Amphibians Ravaged by Fungus

A fungus devastating frogs and toads on nearly every continent may have an Achilles heel. Scientists have discovered a virus that infects the fungus, and that could be engineered to save the amphibians.

4 Apr 2024

New Research Rewrites Bird Family History

An immense meteor spelled doom for most dinosaurs 65 million years ago. However, not all perished. In the aftermath of the extinction event, birds—technically dinosaurs themselves—prospered.

2 Apr 2024

How Does the Egg Coat Prevent Multiple Fertilization

The surrounding egg coat tightens once a sperm fertilizes an egg, mechanically blocking further sperm from entering and causing the embryo to die.

15 Mar 2024

SYCE2 Gene Variant Disrupts Alignment of Chromosomes, Potentially Leading to Pregnancy Loss

Scientists at deCODE genetics, a subsidiary of Amgen and their collaborators from Iceland, Denmark and USA published a study today in Nature Structural and Molecular Biology titled "Variant in the synaptonemal complex protein SYCE2 associates with pregnancy loss through effects on recombination".

30 Jan 2024

Scientists Harness Cellular Scaffolding for New Bio-Inspired Technologies

Princeton researchers have learned to harness the gossamer scaffolding that maintains the structure of living cells and used it to develop a nanotechnology platform.

27 Jan 2024

Genomic Insights Into the Evolution of Gigantism in Cetaceans

Certain gene regions in cetaceans (whales, porpoises, and dolphins) play a role in explaining the remarkable size differences among species, such as the Blue whale (Balaenoptera musculus), which can reach lengths of up to 30 m – almost 10 m longer than a bus – in contrast to the Bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops truncatus), which typically reaches a maximum length of 4 m.

23 Jan 2024

No Consistent Evidence for Sperm Quality Decreasing With Age

Scientists have shown that while male fertility and sperm fitness decrease with age in humans, this tendency does not hold true for other animals. The journal Nature Communications has published the findings.

18 Jan 2024

Zipping Up Chromosomes: The Synaptonemal Complex Revealed

We have two copies of each chromosome in every cell in our bodies except in our reproductive cells. Sperm and egg cells contain a single copy of each chromosome with a unique mix of genes from our parents, an evolutionary trick to give our offspring genetic variability.

4 Jan 2024

Unveiling the Extraordinary Bilateral Gynandromorph Bird

A University of Otago zoologist, Sesquicentennial Distinguished Professor Hamish Spencer, came across an exceptionally uncommon bird during his holiday in Colombia.

12 Dec 2023

Understanding the Dynamic Regulation of Manchette Microtubules in Sperm Development

A team of researchers, led by Wenxiang Meng from the Institute of Genetics and Developmental Biology at the Chinese Academy of Sciences, has demonstrated that the deletion of the calmodulin-regulated spectrin-associated protein 1 (CAMSAP1) gene in mice, which is associated with the minus ends of non-centrosomal microtubules, results in a condition known as oligoasthenoteratozoospermia.

6 Nov 2023

Unveiling the Intricacies of Sperm Transformation

Scientists from Stockholm University have revealed the concealed complexities behind the transition of sperm from inert observers to active swimmers.

26 Oct 2023

Wolbachia’s Fertility Magic: Implications for Mosquito Population Control

A recent investigation uncovers the biological processes through which a particular bacteria strain belonging to the Wolbachia genus may boost the reproductive capabilities of the insects it invades.

25 Oct 2023

The Recognition of Polymorphic Csd Proteins Defines Sex in Honeybees

Until now, it has been unknown how a bee’s sex is decided. A team of biologists and chemists from Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf (HHU) has found a critical gene and the chemical process that goes with it. They describe how this process is analogous to a dice game in the current edition of the scholarly journal Science Advances.

5 Oct 2023

Female Fruit Flies Prioritize Both Genetic Quality and Compatibility When Mating

Genetic quality or genetic compatibility? What do female fruit flies prioritize when mating? Researchers at the University of Zurich show that both factors are important at different stages of the reproductive process and that females use targeted strategies to optimize the fitness of their offspring.

3 Oct 2023

Mathematical Recipe for Sperm Tail Motion Discovered

Patterns of chemical interactions are thought to create patterns in nature such as stripes and spots. This new study shows that the mathematical basis of these patterns also governs how the sperm tail moves.

27 Sep 2023

New Mechanism Underpins Paternal Methylation Imprinting

Scientists at the Van Andel Institute and its partners have discovered a critical component of a system that annotates genetic information before it is transferred from fathers to their offspring.

7 Sep 2023

The Last Piece of Our Genome: Sequencing the Y Chromosome

A full sequence of the Y chromosome, a feat that has challenged scientists for years, has been accomplished for the first time. In this interview, we speak to Dylan Taylor about this impactful research and how it may shape our understanding of human genetics.

1 Sep 2023

First Complete View of Y Chromosome's Code Sequenced

More than 100 experts from across the world, including those from Johns Hopkins University, have worked together to completely sequence the chromosome linked to male development, the final unsolved component of the human genome.

24 Aug 2023

Malaria Parasite’s Meiosis Could Hold the Key to New Treatments

Researchers from the Universities of Leicester and Nottingham have been awarded nearly £600,000 to investigate how sexual development and gene shuffling inside the malaria parasite can help regulate malaria transmission.

7 Aug 2023