DIFFERENT STAGES

OF SPERMATOGENESIS FROOM
3.1 TO STUDY AND IDENTIFY THE PERMANENT SLIDE
TESTIS THROUGH
TS. OF MAMMALIAN
Mammals reproduce
sCxualy. Gametes are D r o d .
produced. duced n
Keproduction is the process by which offspring
are
cells, which are the male gametes
sperm as
testes) produce well
Specalized sex organs. In males, the testis (plural,
as producing the male hornmone testosterone.

6
Aim
from T.S. of
mammalian testis through perma.
nent
To study and identify the different stages of spermatogenesis
slide.

Materials Required
Compound microscope
Permanent slide of T.S. of mammalian testis
Notebook
Pencil
Eraser
Lens cleaning fluid and cleaning paper

Theory/Principle
In all male organisms, gamete formation takes place in their gonads, i.e., testis. The process of gamete formation,
called gametogenesis involves meiotic cell division. The gametogenic development in testis is called spermatogenesis.

Spermatogenesis occurs in the seminiferous tubules of the testes.

Procedure
Clean the side and microscope's eye and objective lenses with the help of lens cleaning fluid and cleaning

paper
Place the slide on the stage of the microscope.
Observe the slide of T.S. mammalian testis first under lower magnification and then in higher magnification.
Observe the various stages of gamete development.
.Draw and label various stages of gamete development.

Observation
.Each testis is oval in shape and covered by three layers:

Outer tunica vaginalis

Three layers of testis Middle tunica albuginea

Inner tunica vasculosa

.Each testis contains large number of highly coiled seminiferous tubules which appear rounded in the T.S.
.Each seminiferous tubule is lined by cubical cells (gcerminal epithelium) and some modified pyramid-shaped
cells called sertoli cells/nurse cells which provide nourishment to the developing sperms.
.The region outside the seminiferous tubules called interstitial space contain a group of intersititial cells hich
synthesise and secrete male androgen, e.g. testosterone.

114 PRACTICAL SKILLS IN BioLOGYI4

 .
Various developmental stages observed in sperm formation are

Spermatogonia Primary spermatocyte Secondary spermatocyte Spermatids spermatozoa

Interstitial cells

Primary germ cell

Spermatogonia

Primary spermatocyte

Secondary spermatocyte

Spermatid
Spermatozoan

O
Sertoli cell

- O
T.S. of mammalian testis showing seminiferous tubule

Spermatozoa
Spermatids

Secondary spermatocyte

Sertoli cell

O0 Primary spermatocyte
Spermatogonium
Germinal epithelial cells

Sectional view of a seminiferous tubule (enlarged)

Result
The transverse section of testis of mamnmal clearly shows the developmental stages of sperms by the process of
spermatogenesis.

APrecautions
Be caution while handling microscope slides, as they can break easily and cut you.
Permanent slide should be observed initially under the low and then under the high magnification of the
microscope.
Always handle the microscope with extreme care.

Suggested Experiment
1. To study the process of hormonal control of spematogenesis occurring in case of males
PRACTICAL SKuLs IN BIOLoGY-12 115