[Insemination: history and state of the art in animals]

Insemination has been used since 1950 in the bovine and since the seventies in other domestic species. The use of insemination varies between the different species in terms of activity and method. The methods depend on the anatomical and physiological characteristics of each species, which lead to different sites of semen deposition and different minimal numbers of inseminated spermatozoa to obtain efficient fertility results. The use of frozen semen influences also the methods of insemination. Intra-uterine insemination is principally used when only small quantities of semen are available and/or to reduce the number of inseminated spermatozoa. Recent results in different species indicate that the use of intra-uterine insemination could be developed in the next years.