SPERMATOGENESIS

By Lorenzo Del Rosario and Carlo

Valenzuela
SPERMATOGENESIS

● Begins at puberty
● Includes all events in which spermatogonia is
transformed into spermatozoa
● Occurs in the seminiferous tubules of testes
then once spermatozoa is made, moves to the
epididymis to mature
SPERMATOGENESIS

● Spermatogonium - germ cell and precursor to the mature form

of sperm
● Primary spermatocytes - arise from the Type B
spermatogonium via mitosis
● Secondary spermatocytes - arise from the primary
spermatocyte via meiosis I
● Sertoli cells -support and protect germ cells, gives nutrition and
help in the release of spermatozoa
Spermatogenesis: Hormones involved

● Regulated by LH (Luteinizing Hormone) production of the

pituitary gland
● LH binds to receptors on Leydig cells that stimulates
testosterone production, then binds to Sertoli cells which
promotes spermatogenesis
● Follicle-stimulating Hormone (FSH) is also essential since it
binds to Sertoli cells which stimulates testosterone production
Process of Spermatogenesis

1. Type A spermatogonia undergo limited mitotic

divisions and form clones of themselves
2. Last cell division produces the Type B
spermatogonia
3. Type B spermatogonia then divides via mitosis
which produces the Primary spermatocyte
4. Primary spermatocytes undergo Meiosis I which
forms the Secondary spermatocytes
5. Secondary spermatocytes then undergo Meiosis
II which produces haploid spermatids
SPERMIOGENESIS

- A series of changes resulting in the transformation of

spermatids into spermatozoa

4 CHANGES:

1. Formation of acrosome, which covers half of the nuclear

surface and contains enzymes to assist in the penetration of
the egg and its surrounding layers during fertilization
2. Condensation of the nucleus
SPERMIOGENESIS
3. Formation of neck, middle piece and tail

4. Shedding of most of the cytoplasm as residual bodies that are

phagocytized by Sertoli cells.

- 74 days for humans to develop a spermatogonium to a mature

spermatozoon
- 300 sperms are produced daily
- When fully formed, spermatozoa enter the lumen of the
seminiferous tubules. Then are pushed toward the epididymis
by contractile elements in the wall of the seminiferous tubules
- They obtain full mobility in the epididymis
REFERENCES:

● Sadler, T. (2012). Langman's Medical Embryology (12th ed.). Philadelphia, PA:

Lippincott Williams & Wilkins.
● https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mK9_6HQbxtU - video