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The structural organisation of sperm head components of the wombat and koala (suborder: Vombatiformes ): an enigma amongst marsupials
Author(s) -
BREED WILLIAM G.,
LEIGH CHRISTOPHER M.,
RICCI MARIO
Publication year - 2001
Publication title -
journal of anatomy
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.932
H-Index - 118
eISSN - 1469-7580
pISSN - 0021-8782
DOI - 10.1046/j.1469-7580.2001.19810057.x
Subject(s) - spermatozoon , sperm , acrosome , biology , ultrastructure , anatomy , zoology , sperm cell , microbiology and biotechnology , botany
The sperm head structural organisation of the koala and hairy‐nosed wombat, and the effects of varying concentrations of the ionic detergent, Triton X‐100, on its component parts, were determined by electron microscopy. Although alike in form between the 2 species, the sperm nucleus of the former, but not the latter, had nuclear vacuoles and appeared to be more easily dispersed by the Triton X‐100. The structure of the acrosome of the spermatozoon was similar between the 2 species and, in both, previously undescribed thin posterior and lateral segments were found to be present. It is suggested that this thin segment may facilitate sperm‐zona and/or sperm‐oolemma binding and fusion.