Bachelor of Biomedical Science with Honours

INDIVIDUAL ASSIGNMENT

THE IMPORTANCE OF SPERM ASSAY

(SPERM COUNT, MOTILITY AND
MORPHOLOGY)

NAME MATRIC NUMBER

YAAHSHINI A/P SEKAR 068226

22ND JANUARY 2023

Received & checked by:

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 DR. ANUAR MD. ZAIN
DBB10403 Subject Coordinator

LIST OF CONTENT

Chapter Page

1 DECLARATION 4

2 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS 5

3 INTRODUCTION 6

4 DISCUSSION

4.1 WHAT IS SPERM ASSAY 7

4.2 IMPORTANCE OF SPERM ASSAY 8

4.2.1 SPERM COUNT 9

4.2.2 SPERM MOTILITY 10

4.2.3 SPERM MORPHOLOGY 11-12

5 SUMMARY 13

6 REFERENCES 14

7 APPENDIX 15-16

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 DECLARATION

I hereby declare that this assignment is based on my original work except for quotations,
tables, diagrams and citations, which have been duly acknowledged and adapted. I also
declare that it has been previously checked for submitted and completion of formative
assessment for

Anatomy & Physiology 2, DBB10403, Session I (2022/2023)

………………………………….
YAAHSHINI A/P SEKAR
068226
Bachelor of Biomedical Science with Honours
Dec 31 , 2022
st

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 ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

In preparation of my assignment, I had to take the help and guidance of some

respected persons, who deserve my deepest gratitude. As the completion of this assignment
gave me much pleasure, I would like to show my gratitude to Dr Anuar,
Course Instructor, at Sultan Zainal Abidin University for giving me good guidelines for
assignment throughout numerous consultations. I would also like to extend my gratitude to all
those who have directly and indirectly guided me in writing this assignment. I also thank the
Sultan Zainal Abidin University for consent to include copyrighted pictures as a part of my
paper.

Many people, especially my classmates have made valuable comment

suggestions on my paper which gave me inspiration to improve the quality of the
assignment.

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 INTRODUCTION

Each testicle's seminiferous tubules produce sperm, which is produced by the male
reproductive system. The DNA in the head of the sperm is joined with the DNA in the egg to
generate a new individual. The acrosome, which is located at the tip of the sperm head, allows
the sperm to penetrate the egg. The mitochondria in the midpiece provide the energy required for
the tail to move. To drive the sperm towards the egg, the tail makes whip-like movements back
and forth. To fertilize a woman's egg, sperm must travel through the uterus and fallopian tube.

The major parameters in semen quality, which is a measure of the capacity of semen to
fertilize, are sperm quantity and quality. In humans, it is a measure of a man's fertility. Sperm
genetic quality, volume, and motility all tend to decline with age.
Damaged DNA found in sperm cells after meiosis but before fertilization can be repaired in the
fertilized egg, but if not, it can have major consequences for fertility and the developing fetus.
Free radical attack and the formation of oxidative DNA damage, such as that caused by 8-Oxo-
2'-deoxyguanosine, are particularly dangerous to human sperm cells.

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 DISCUSSION

What is Sperm Assays

Sperm Assays also known as semen analysis which is a lab test that uses a microscope to examine
a sample of sperm. It assesses factors such as sperm count, motility, and morphology.

Sperm count
The average amount of sperm present in one sample of sperm is referred to as sperm count.
During routine semen investigations, fertility physicians examine sperm count, which they
regard to be a significant component in fertility.

Sperm Motility

Sperm motility refers to sperm's capacity to move quickly. Because sperm must travel
through the woman's reproductive tract to reach and fertilize her egg, this is critical in
fertility. Male factor infertility can be caused by sperm motility issues.

There are two types of sperm motility, which refers to how individual sperm move.
Sperm that swim in a mostly straight line or huge circles are said to have progressive motility.
Sperm with non-progressive motility do not migrate in straight lines or swim in very tight
circles. Sperm must have a progressive motility of at least 25 micrometers per second to get
through cervical mucus and fertilize a woman's egg. Asthenozoospermia, or poor sperm motility,
is diagnosed when less than 32% of the sperm can travel efficiently.

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Sperm Morphology

The shape of your sperm, or how it appears under a microscope, is referred to as morphology. It
examines the morphology of the sperm head as well as the size of the sperm. The shape of the
sperm's head is significant because it influences their capacity to dissolve the egg's outer surface
and fertilize it.Sperm morphology ranges show what percentage of sperm have normal size and
shape. The percentage can give you an idea of your possibilities of conceiving with your spouse
because these sperm are the most
likely to fertilize an egg. Depending on the parameters used to evaluate the sperm, the ranges
will vary from lab to lab. A lower normal range will result from stricter criteria.

Importance of sperm assays

If a couple has been unable to conceive, a semen anomaly may be the cause. It's sometimes related
to a problem with a man's sperm. A semen analysis determines the chances of a guy causing a
pregnancy.

A semen analysis is also used to assess whether a vasectomy was effective. This treatment
prevents sperm from being deposited in the sperm tubes. If there are no sperm in the semen, the
vasectomy was successful, and a man cannot make a woman pregnant.

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Sperm Count

A healthy sperm count is often required while trying to conceive naturally. Even while it only
takes one sperm and one egg to become pregnant, having more quality sperm each month will
boost your chances of becoming pregnant.

Your sperm count may be an essential indicator of general health even if you aren't trying to
conceive. Men with a low sperm count had a higher percentage of body fat (larger waistline and
higher BMI) and higher blood pressure than men with higher sperm counts, according to one
study. They also had a greater rate of metabolic syndrome,
which means they were more likely to develop diabetes, heart disease, and stroke.

As a result, if your sperm count is low, your primary care physician may want to check your
testosterone levels, lifestyle, and overall health.

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Sperm Motility

Spermatozoa are motile cells after passing through the epididymis. Sperm motility is
important during fertilization because it permits or at least makes it easier for sperm to get
through the zona pellucida. A non-motile or improperly motile sperm will not fertilize without
technological assistance. As a result, determining the motility of a sperm population is likely the
most extensively utilized indicator of sperm quality.

Sperm are classed as non-motile, increasingly motile, or non-progressively motile in most

species when examining motility. A gradually motile sperm travels in an almost straight
route, while a non-progressively motile sperm swims in an irregular pattern .

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Sperm Morphology

Because sperm must have a specific form in order to penetrate an egg, sperm morphology has
an impact on fertility. When it comes to fertility, however, morphology is simply one of many
aspects. Your doctor will also examine the total amount of sperm and their mobility.

The younger you are, the healthier your sperm are. Some doctors advise freezing your sperm
earlier in life so that you can use your healthiest sperm when you're ready to

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create a baby. However, if you've already discovered that your sperm morphological range
is low, it'll be too late.

Because your body is constantly manufacturing new sperm, changes in your food or lifestyle
can have an impact on the health of your future sperm.

● losing fat
● regular physical activity
● avoiding binge drinking, smoking, or using illegal drugs
● boxers made with loose cotton

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SUMMARY

A laboratory test called sperm analysis is used to determine male fertility. After a year
of unprotected sexual intercourse, infertility is defined as the inability to conceive. Infertility
affects around 15% of all couples in their reproductive years. Male infertility is diagnosed by a
thorough medical and sexual history, a thorough physical examination, and sperm analysis. The
male factor has a substantial role in 30% of infertility cases and is a contributing element in
almost half of them.

During ejaculation, boluses of sperm are expelled. It is made up of spermatozoa

generated in the testes, processed in the epididymides, and combined with secretions from the
prostate, seminal vesicles, bulbourethral glands, and epididymides, among other male accessory
sex organs. [4] The total quantity of spermatozoa, the fluid volume, sperm concentration, and
the type of the spermatozoa; their viability, motility, and shape, as well as the content of the
secretions may all be used to evaluate sperm. A thorough examination of these variables may
aid in determining the cause of male factor infertility. A laboratory test called sperm analysis is
used to determine male fertility. After a year of unprotected sexual intercourse, infertility is
defined as the
inability to conceive. Infertility affects around 15% of all couples in their reproductive years.
Male infertility is diagnosed by a thorough medical and sexual history, a thorough physical
examination, and sperm analysis. The male factor has a substantial role in 30% of infertility
cases and is a contributing element in almost half of them.

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REFERENCES

Madormo, C. (2017, August 2). How Does Sperm Morphology

Affect Fertility? Healthline. Retrieved from
https://www.healthline.com/health/sperm-morphology

Elia, J., Imbrogno, N., Delfino, M., Mazzilli, R., Rossi, T., & Mazzilli, F.
(2010). The importance of the sperm motility classes-future directions.
Open
Androl J, 2, 42-3. Retrieved from
https://benthamopen.com/contents/pdf/TOANDROJ/TOANDROJ-2-42.pdf

Ombelet, W., Menkveld, R., Kruger, T. F., & Steeno, O. (1995). Sperm
morphology assessment: historical review in relation to fertility.
Human Reproduction Update, 1(6), 543-557. Retrieved from
https://academic.oup.com/humupd/article-abstract/1/6/543/629300

Heuchel, V., Schwartz, D., & Price, W. (1981). Within‐subject variability

and the importance of abstinence period for sperm count, semen volume
and pre‐freeze and post‐thaw motility. Andrologia, 13(5), 479-485.
Retrieved from
https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/j.1439-0272.1981.tb00085.x\

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APPENDIX

Figure 1. shows difference between normal and abnormal sperm count

Figure 2 shows difference between normal and abnormal sperm motility

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Figure 3 shows parts of sperms and its morphology

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