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.

Antarctic worms may hold the key to future storage of organ transplants

The secret to Antarctic worms’ survival in the most extreme conditions may have implications for future storage of organ transplants, say University of Otago researchers.

21 Jun 2004

Oxidants are responsible for sex in algae

Colonies of the multicellular green alga Volvox carteri exposed to temperatures of 111 degrees Fahrenheit (42.5 degrees Celsius) had twice the amount of free radicals, oxidants that can damage biological structures, as unheated colonies. High levels of oxidants within their cells activated the algae's sex-inducer gene, the researchers report.

11 Jun 2004

Continuing problems with high levels of pesticide residues in fruits popular with children

New pesticide residue results reveal continuing problems with high levels of pesticide residues in fruits popular with children, including apples, pears and grapes. But processed baby food is completely residue free.

11 Jun 2004

New British guidelines to protect the safety of frozen sperm, eggs and embryos

The Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority, UK has announced strict new guidelines to protect the safety of frozen sperm, eggs and embryos stored at fertility clinics throughout the UK.

10 Jun 2004

Genes that allow nerve cells to communicate may have come from bacteria eons ago

Some of the genes that allow nerve cells and some other types of cells to send elaborate chemical messages to each other appear to have been transferred to animals or their immediate ancestors from bacteria eons ago.

2 Jun 2004

How we pass our genes to our children

An Oxford-led team of researchers has found out more about what happens during recombination, the process by which the genetic information you inherited from your mother and father is mixed up to make a sex chromosome to pass on to your offspring.

1 Jun 2004

Baby born from 21 year old cryopreserved sperm

"We believe this is the longest period of sperm cryopreservation resulting in a live birth so far reported in the scientific literature," according to one of the authors, Dr Elizabeth Pease, Consultant in Reproductive Medicine at the Department of Reproductive Medicine at St Mary's Hospital, Manchester.

25 May 2004

Researchers have identified the first gene linked to the productivity of the stem cells that produce sperm in mammals

Researchers have identified the first gene linked to the productivity of the stem cells that produce sperm in mammals. The discovery was made by applying the latest laboratory methods to a strain of mice restored from embryos frozen since the early 70s.

23 May 2004

Scientists may have figured out how to use stem cells to regenerate lost or injured tissue

In experiments with fruit flies, Johns Hopkins scientists have restored the insect's sperm-making stem cells by triggering cells on the way to becoming sperm to reverse course. The unexpected findings are described in the May 13 issue of Science.

19 May 2004

Clinical trial of traditional Chinese medicine for the treatment of male infertility

Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) researcher Jann Mehmet knows the effectiveness of acupuncture and Chinese herbal medicine in treating male infertility. Now she is putting her observations to the test in a formal clinical trial of the benefits of TCM, the first time such a study has been conducted in Australia - or overseas.

18 May 2004

Researchers identify new genes that control the formation of cilia found throughout the human body

Howard Hughes Medical Institute researchers have used a combination of brainpower and computer power to identify a multitude of new genes that control the formation of tiny, hair-like cilia that stipple the surfaces of many organs in a wide variety of creatures.

14 May 2004

Father's sperm packs more than just a fertilizer

The major function of a man's sperm was fertilization, scientists once thought. True, sperm contains the father's chromosomes; but new studies from Wayne State University show that RNAs critically important to early growth of an embryo are also delivered.

13 May 2004

10 years of IVF procedures show frozen sperm as good as fresh

A review of the past ten years of In Vitro Fertilization (IVF) procedures at the Mayo Clinic revealed equivalent outcomes between frozen and fresh sperm for oocyte insemination, according to a new study unveiled today at the AUA’s Annual Scientific Meeting.

12 May 2004

Scientists tackle the decline in male fertility

This week, Australian scientists will gather at The University of Queensland’s Institute for Molecular Bioscience (IMB) to discuss the causes of an alarming decline in male fertility in Australia and worldwide.

11 May 2004

Expert panel to review toxicity associated with exposure to acrylamide

The National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS), one of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), will hold an expert panel meeting May 17-19, in Alexandria, Virginia, to review the scientific evidence regarding the potential reproductive and/or developmental toxicity associated with exposure to acrylamide.

10 May 2004

Protein in the male reproductive tract is a potent anti-bacterial agent

Scientists at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill have found that a protein they discovered three years ago in the male reproductive tract is a potent anti-bacterial agent.

6 May 2004

Latest research on obesity, diabetes, hormone replacement therapy to be presented

From reviewing the latest trends and clinical research in the field of endocrinology to debating the nation's obesity epidemic and the ethnic disparities in health care, the American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists' (AACE) Thirteenth Annual Meeting and Clinical Congress will highlight the current revolution in endocrinology.

29 Apr 2004

Studies show pregabalin does not affect male reproductivity or interfere with oral contraceptives

Two studies presented today at the American Academy of Neurology (AAN) 56th Annual Meeting show that pregabalin, when used as an add-on treatment for epilepsy, does not affect male reproductive function or interfere with the effectiveness of oral contraceptives.

29 Apr 2004

Chlamydia may cause infertility in men as well as long-term health problems for women

Swedish study suggests Chlamydia the most common sexually transmitted infection might cause infertility in men as well as long-term health problems for women.

29 Apr 2004

New information on genetic shuffling before egg or sperm formation rewrites genetic theory

Key decisions in the genetic shuffling that occurs before eggs or sperm are formed are made earlier than thought, rewriting textbook genetics, according to recent papers from researchers at UC Davis, Harvard University and UC San Diego.

16 Apr 2004

Sperm News and Research

Further Reading

Antarctic worms may hold the key to future storage of organ transplants

Oxidants are responsible for sex in algae

Continuing problems with high levels of pesticide residues in fruits popular with children

New British guidelines to protect the safety of frozen sperm, eggs and embryos

Genes that allow nerve cells to communicate may have come from bacteria eons ago

How we pass our genes to our children

Baby born from 21 year old cryopreserved sperm

Researchers have identified the first gene linked to the productivity of the stem cells that produce sperm in mammals

Scientists may have figured out how to use stem cells to regenerate lost or injured tissue

Clinical trial of traditional Chinese medicine for the treatment of male infertility

Researchers identify new genes that control the formation of cilia found throughout the human body

Father's sperm packs more than just a fertilizer

10 years of IVF procedures show frozen sperm as good as fresh

Scientists tackle the decline in male fertility

Expert panel to review toxicity associated with exposure to acrylamide

Protein in the male reproductive tract is a potent anti-bacterial agent

Latest research on obesity, diabetes, hormone replacement therapy to be presented

Studies show pregabalin does not affect male reproductivity or interfere with oral contraceptives

Chlamydia may cause infertility in men as well as long-term health problems for women

New information on genetic shuffling before egg or sperm formation rewrites genetic theory

How can microdialysis benefit drug development

Global and Local Efforts to Take Action Against Hepatitis

Addressing Important Cardiac Biology Questions with Shotgun Top-Down Proteomics

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