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.

Scientists Discover Secret of Virgin Birth, and Switch on the Ability in Female Flies

Scientists have pinpointed a genetic cause for virgin birth for the first time, and once switched on the ability is passed down through generations of females.

26 Jul 2023

The Function of Stem Cell Barriers in the Treatment of Fertility

A set of molecules controls cells as they proliferate and take on certain identities and spatial placements within a human embryo as it develops.

18 Jul 2023

New Gene Discovery Could Revolutionize Sex Determination in Green Algae

An international team of researchers led by Dr. James Umen at the Donald Danforth Plant Science Center has made a groundbreaking discovery in the world of developmental biology.

13 Jul 2023

Extraoral Bitter Taste Receptors Serve as Endogenous Sensors for Bile Acids

Taste receptors for bitter substances are not only observed on the tongue but also on cells outside of the oral cavity.

5 Jul 2023

UCL Scientists Visualize the Molecular 'Nano-Machinery' That Causes Cilia to Beat

The first image of the structures that power human cilia – the tiny, hairlike projections that line our airways – has been produced by a team involving UCL researchers and could lead to much-needed treatments for people with rare cilial diseases.

14 Jun 2023

Researchers Use the Bionanoprobe to Explore Role of Zinc in Follicle Development

The discovery that zinc is involved in the fertilization process earlier than initially thought was made with the help of the Bionanoprobe, a cutting-edge instrument at Argonne.

18 May 2023

Understanding How Supernumerary Chromosomes Arise

The majority of chromosomes have existed for millions of years.

5 May 2023

The Origins of Human Accelerated Regions

Large parts of the human genome were changed over a million years ago due to a random event during egg or sperm formation that resulted in the deletion, duplication, or reversal of sections of DNA. Investigators have demonstrated that those structural variants likely set off a cascade of other fast alterations in human DNA that may underpin unique human traits, particularly the brain.

28 Apr 2023

Study Finds Link Between Chemical "Marks" on DNA in Father’s Sperm and Autistic Traits in Children

Among families with children diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder, Johns Hopkins University researchers say they have found a link between chemical "marks" on DNA in the sperm of fathers and autistic traits in their 3-year-old children.

28 Apr 2023

Prime Target for Male Contraceptive Development Identified

As far as a highly effective, reversible, and non-hormonal male contraceptive for humans and animals is concerned, the discovery of a gene in multiple mammalian species could set the stage.

18 Apr 2023

Study Reveals a Unique Mode of Reproduction that Produces Chimeric Males in Yellow Crazy Ants

Male yellow crazy ants (Anoplolepis gracilipes) are chimeras of two separate genetic lineages, researchers report in a study that reveals a unique mode of reproduction in this species – one previously unknown to science.

7 Apr 2023

Male Beetles Neglect Maintenance of Gametes When Competing for Mating Opportunities

Male beetles face a trade-off between competing with other males for mating opportunities and repairing damage to their sperm DNA, according to a study publishing April 4th in the open access journal PLOS Biology by Mareike Koppik from Uppsala University, Sweden, and colleagues.

5 Apr 2023

Variations in methylation linked to age in the human sperm epigenome

A higher risk of reproductive and child health issues is linked to advanced paternal age. Increasing evidence points to age-related alterations in the sperm epigenome as one underlying cause.

23 Mar 2023

Deactivating mosquito sperm to control populations of Culex

New UC Riverside research makes it likely that proteins responsible for activating mosquito sperm can be shut down, preventing them from swimming to or fertilizing eggs.

22 Mar 2023

The mechanism behind fruit fly germ cells forming ring canals

Cell division is the process through which the majority of cells in the bodies of living beings duplicate their contents and physically split into new cells.

10 Mar 2023

Robust method for induced pluripotent stem cell culture

Different types of cells, such as the heart, liver, blood, and sperm cells, have characteristics that help them perform their specific functions in the body. In general, those traits are hard-wired. A heart cell will not randomly transform into a liver cell if not stimulated.

23 Feb 2023

Digital microfluidics as the optimal technology for bacterial protocol advances

The February 2023 issue of SLAS Technology contains a set of four original research articles and one review article covering digital microfluidics (DMF), cryopreservation, colorectal cancer research and other laboratory automation technology.

17 Feb 2023

An innovative strategy for on-demand contraception for men

An experimental contraceptive drug developed by Weill Cornell Medicine investigators temporarily stops sperm in their tracks and prevents pregnancies in preclinical models. The study, published in Nature Communications on Feb. 14, demonstrates that an on-demand male contraceptive is possible.

16 Feb 2023

Effective new drugs to reduce the massive number of malaria cases

Malaria is known as a disastrous disease, with 247 million cases and 619,000 deaths reported in 2021 alone.

From The University of New South Wales (UNSW) 31 Jan 2023

Research reveals the genes that likely allowed whales to grow into giant sizes

New research reveals the genes that likely allowed whales to grow to giant sizes compared to their ancestors, reports a study published in Scientific Reports.

20 Jan 2023