Learning Reproduction in Farm Animals

06-Spermatogenesis

Learning Objectives

Head Structure of Bovine Spermatozoa

The Tail

Parts of Sperm - Function

Events of a sperm's life

  1. Fertilize the oocyte

    2.  
  2. Degeneration

    3.  
     Fertilization - True acrosome reaction
 Metabolic characteristics of sperm

Catabolic Properties of Sperm

 

 

 

Sperm Morphology

Learning Objectives

Sperm Producing Capacity
Sperm
Bull
Boar
Ram
Stallion
x 106 /gram of testis/day 
16
27
25
20
Testis wt. (grams)
350
360
275
200
Total sperm production.
(x 109 sperm) 
11
19
14
8
Length of Spermatogenesis
(Days) 
61
34
49
49
 

Learning Objective

To understand how heat stress impairs spermatogenesis and reproductive capacity.
 
 
 Thermal Stress
In Boars  
 
 
Control 
(23°C) 
Heat Stress 
(8 hr 34°C) 
(16 hr 31°C) 
% Gilts pregnant 
41.2 
28.6
Number of Embryos
8.6 
6.1
% Embryos Survived 
71.2 
48.5
% Sperm Motility (6 wks)
85 
45
Testis weight (g) 
939 
901
Total Testis Sperm (x109)
104 
52
Toal. Caput. Corpus Sperm (x109)
127
66 
Total Cauda Sperm (x109)
234 
95
Abnormal Sperm
No change 
5 to 10%
Avgerage number of cells in x
     section of semineferous
tubules.
 
 
A-Spermatogonia 
1.1 
1.07
Preleptotene Spermatocytes
29.2 
30.3
Pachytene Spermatocytes 
29.1 
27.8
Round Spermatids 
115 
63
Data from Wettemann et al. 1976, J.Anim. Sci. 42:664-669;
Wettemann and Desjardins 1979, Biol. Reprod. 20:235-241

Order of Sperm Damage During Heat Stress

1.

2.

3.
 

Response to Heat Stress
 
 

Thermal Effects in Bulls

Illustrated Notes

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