Abstract

An electron microscope study of spermiogenesis in maleDrosophila melanogaster cultured at 18° C and 26° C has revealed that there is no apparent morphological basis for sterility observed at elevated temperatures. Temperature does not seem to affect significantly the processes of acrosome differentiation, centriole and manchette development and organization, and differentiation of the nucleus and mitochondrial crystalloid. Only a few grossly abnormal spermatozoan tails (mitochondrial crystalloid and flagellum) observed in some testicular cysts of males cultured at 26° C were interpreted as temperature-induced effects. However, the frequency of atypical spermatozoa is too small to correlate with the data ofPeacock andErickson (1965) showing that 50% of the spermatozoa are nonfunctional. Spermatozoa in the vas deferens of males cultured either at 18° C or 26° C possessed no structural aberrations. The ultrastructural features of normal spermiogenesis are also presented in this report.

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