Chapter 3 Sperm Motility

Abstract

Publisher Summary This chapter comprises of experimental preparations, and observation and measurement of sperm motility. The Experimental preparations include sperm collection, live spermatozoa and demembranated spermatozoa. Most of the available data on sperm motility have been obtained from spermatozoa swimming near surfaces. Microscopic observation of spermatozoa swimming in the interior of a microscope slide chamber, away from surfaces, is difficult. Although photographic methods can provide very detailed information about flagellar bending, they sample relatively small numbers of spermatozoa in a population. It is desirable to have that method that measured average motility parameters of a larger sperm population and of a population of spermatozoa that is not confined to the vicinity of a surface. Such a method would be particularly useful for comparing motility with parameters such as metabolic rate. As 90% or more of sperm energy metabolism is normally coupled to motility, measurements of the oxidative metabolism of live spermatozoa or the rate of ATP dephosphorylation by demembranated spermatozoa are important adjuncts of sperm motility studies. In both cases, measurements should be made on suspensions with relatively low sperm density if it is also desired to measure motility parameters in samples taken from the suspensions during the measurements, without modifying the sperm environment by additional dilution.