We have located links that may give you full text access.
Sperm head morphology is associated with sperm swimming speed: A comparative study of songbirds using electron microscopy.
Sperm exhibit extraordinary levels of morphological diversification across the animal kingdom. In songbirds, sperm have a helically shaped head incorporating a distinct acrosomal membrane or "helical keel," the form and extent of which varies across species. The functional significance of this helical shape, however, remains unknown. Using scanning electron microscopy, we quantified inter- and intraspecific variation in sperm head morphology across 36 songbird species (Passeriformes: Passerida). Using phylogenetic comparative methods, we investigated the relationship between sperm head morphology and both sperm swimming speed and the frequency of extra-pair young (EPY). We found that species whose sperm had a relatively more pronounced helical form (i.e., long acrosome, short nucleus, wide helical membrane, and a more pronounced waveform along the sperm head "core") had faster-swimming sperm. We found no evidence of a relationship between interspecific variation in sperm head morphology and EPY, although we did find that among- and within-male variation in sperm head traits were negatively correlated with EPY. Applying principles of fluid mechanics, we discuss how the helical form of the sperm head may influence swimming speed, and suggest that further studies considering aspects of sperm morphology beyond sperm length are needed to improve our understanding of sperm structure-function relationships.
Full text links
Related Resources
Trending Papers
Heart failure with preserved ejection fraction: diagnosis, risk assessment, and treatment.Clinical Research in Cardiology : Official Journal of the German Cardiac Society 2024 April 12
Proximal versus distal diuretics in congestive heart failure.Nephrology, Dialysis, Transplantation 2024 Februrary 30
Efficacy and safety of pharmacotherapy in chronic insomnia: A review of clinical guidelines and case reports.Mental Health Clinician 2023 October
World Health Organization and International Consensus Classification of eosinophilic disorders: 2024 update on diagnosis, risk stratification, and management.American Journal of Hematology 2024 March 30
Get seemless 1-tap access through your institution/university
For the best experience, use the Read mobile app
All material on this website is protected by copyright, Copyright © 1994-2024 by WebMD LLC.
This website also contains material copyrighted by 3rd parties.
By using this service, you agree to our terms of use and privacy policy.
Your Privacy Choices
You can now claim free CME credits for this literature searchClaim now
Get seemless 1-tap access through your institution/university
For the best experience, use the Read mobile app