Search research articles

ABOUT JoVE

Overview Leadership Blog JoVE Help Center

AUTHORS

Publishing Process Editorial Board Scope & Policies Peer Review FAQ Submit

LIBRARIANS

Testimonials Subscriptions Access Resources Library Advisory Board FAQ

RESEARCH

JoVE Journal Methods Collections JoVE Encyclopedia of Experiments Archive

EDUCATION

JoVE Core JoVE Business JoVE Science Education JoVE Lab Manual Faculty Resource Center Faculty Site

Terms & Conditions of Use

Related Concept Videos

Spermatogenesis

Spermatogenesis

Spermatogenesis is the process by which haploid sperm cells are produced in the male testes. It starts with stem cells located close to the outer rim of seminiferous tubules. These spermatogonial stem cells divide asymmetrically to give rise to additional stem cells (meaning that these structures “self-renew”), as well as sperm progenitors, called spermatocytes. Importantly, this method of asymmetric mitotic division maintains a population of spermatogonial stem cells in the male reproductive...

Spermatogenesis

Spermatogenesis

Spermatogenesis is a complex process that involves the development of sperm cells from undifferentiated stem cells in the seminiferous tubules of the testes. The process is essential for the production of mature and functional sperm cells that are capable of fertilizing an egg.
The process of spermatogenesis can be divided into mitosis, meiosis, and spermiogenesis. During mitosis, the spermatogonia or stem cells divide to produce two identical daughter cells, type A and B spermatogonia. Type-A...

Fertilization

Fertilization

During fertilization, an egg and sperm cell fuse to create a new diploid structure. In humans, the process occurs once the egg has been released from the ovary, and travels into the fallopian tubes. The process requires several key steps: 1) sperm present in the genital tract must locate the egg; 2) once there, sperm need to release enzymes to help them burrow through the protective zona pellucida of the egg; and 3) the membranes of a single sperm cell and egg must fuse, with the sperm...

Sperm Structure and Semen Composition

Sperm Structure and Semen Composition

During ejaculation, males release around 2-5 milliliters of semen, which is a complex mixture of mature sperm and various fluids produced by accessory glands. The mature sperm cells measure approximately 60 micrometers in length and consist of a head, neck, midpiece, and tail. The head is flattened and tapered, measuring about 4 to 5 micrometers in length. It contains a nucleus with condensed chromosomes and an acrosome, a cap-like structure filled with enzymes essential for penetrating the...

Sperm Transport

Sperm Transport

The journey of sperm from its origin to the point of ejaculation begins within the seminiferous tubules of the testis. Here, Sertoli cells produce fluid that propels non-motile sperm through a series of conduits, starting with the straight tubules leading to the rete testis. This interconnected network of tubules acts as the initial pathway for sperm, guiding them into the efferent ductules and then into the epididymis for maturation.
The maturation phase occurs in the epididymis, where sperm...

Factors Affecting Drug Distribution: Physiological Barriers

Factors Affecting Drug Distribution: Physiological Barriers

Drug distribution in the body is intricately regulated by various physiological barriers that control the passage of substances. These include the capillary endothelial barrier, the blood-brain, blood-cerebrospinal fluid, blood-placental, and blood-testis barriers.
The capillary endothelial barrier allows only smaller molecules below 600 Da (Daltons) to pass through. It also restricts drugs like heparin that are bound to blood components, limiting their movement within the bloodstream.
The...

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by

Same author

Exposure to environmental contaminants and folic acid supplementation intergenerationally impact fetal skeleton development through the paternal lineage in a rat model.

Frontiers in toxicology·2022

Same author

Mechanism of Action of an Environmentally Relevant Organochlorine Mixture in Repressing Steroid Hormone Biosynthesis in Leydig Cells.

International journal of molecular sciences·2022

Same author

Early-Life Exposure to Environmental Contaminants Perturbs the Sperm Epigenome and Induces Negative Pregnancy Outcomes for Three Generations via the Paternal Lineage.

Epigenomes·2021

Same author

ACRBP (Sp32) is involved in priming sperm for the acrosome reaction and the binding of sperm to the zona pellucida in a porcine model.

PloS one·2021

Same author

Adipose Tissue Transcriptome Is Related to Pollutant Exposure in Polar Bear Mother-Cub Pairs from Svalbard, Norway.

Environmental science & technology·2020

Same author

Beyond fertilisation: How the paternal environment influences future generations.

Animal reproduction science·2020

Same journal

Defining optimal frame rate for kinematic semen analysis of different dog breeds assessed by computer-assisted sperm analysis.

Systems biology in reproductive medicine·2026

Same journal

Embryology and clinical outcomes after sperm preparation using microfluidic sperm sorting versus density gradient centrifugation.

Systems biology in reproductive medicine·2026

Same journal

Diagnostic and surveillance strategies for Marburg virus persistence in the male reproductive tract: insights from Ebola and Zika viruses.

Systems biology in reproductive medicine·2026

Same journal

Molecular mechanisms of folliculogenesis and oogenesis.

Systems biology in reproductive medicine·2026

Same journal

Future directions in infertility research: the role of generative AI and large language models.

Systems biology in reproductive medicine·2026

Same journal

Metabolomic analysis of follicular fluid in women with unexplained infertility.

Systems biology in reproductive medicine·2026

See all related articles

Search research articles

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jun 8, 2026

Measuring Intracellular Ca2+ Changes in Human Sperm using Four Techniques: Conventional Fluorometry, Stopped Flow Fluorometry, Flow Cytometry and Single Cell Imaging

Measuring Intracellular Ca²⁺ Changes in Human Sperm using Four Techniques: Conventional Fluorometry, Stopped Flow Fluorometry, Flow Cytometry and Single Cell Imaging

Published on: May 24, 2013

Factors regulating sperm capacitation.

Janice L Bailey¹

¹Centre de Recherche en Biologie de la Reproduction, Département des Sciences Animales, Université Laval, Québec City, Québec, Canada. janice.bailey@fsaa.ulaval.ca

Systems Biology in Reproductive Medicine

|September 21, 2010

Summary

This summary is machine-generated.

Sperm capacitation, essential for fertilization, involves functional changes enabling sperm to fertilize an egg. Recent research clarifies its regulation, highlighting a key pathway involving soluble adenylyl cyclase and protein tyrosine phosphorylation.

More Related Videos

Using an Extracellular Flux Analyzer to Measure Changes in Glycolysis and Oxidative Phosphorylation during Mouse Sperm Capacitation

Using an Extracellular Flux Analyzer to Measure Changes in Glycolysis and Oxidative Phosphorylation during Mouse Sperm Capacitation

Published on: January 22, 2020

Phosphopeptide Analysis of Rodent Epididymal Spermatozoa

Phosphopeptide Analysis of Rodent Epididymal Spermatozoa

Published on: December 30, 2014

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Jun 8, 2026

Measuring Intracellular Ca2+ Changes in Human Sperm using Four Techniques: Conventional Fluorometry, Stopped Flow Fluorometry, Flow Cytometry and Single Cell Imaging

Measuring Intracellular Ca²⁺ Changes in Human Sperm using Four Techniques: Conventional Fluorometry, Stopped Flow Fluorometry, Flow Cytometry and Single Cell Imaging

Published on: May 24, 2013

Using an Extracellular Flux Analyzer to Measure Changes in Glycolysis and Oxidative Phosphorylation during Mouse Sperm Capacitation

Using an Extracellular Flux Analyzer to Measure Changes in Glycolysis and Oxidative Phosphorylation during Mouse Sperm Capacitation

Published on: January 22, 2020

Phosphopeptide Analysis of Rodent Epididymal Spermatozoa

Phosphopeptide Analysis of Rodent Epididymal Spermatozoa

Published on: December 30, 2014

Area of Science:

Reproductive Biology
Sperm Physiology
Cell Signaling

Background:

Sperm capacitation is a crucial process for fertilization, involving functional maturation of sperm.
While discovered decades ago, recent research has significantly advanced our understanding of capacitation mechanisms.
Key events include zona pellucida binding, acrosome reaction, hyperactivated motility, and oocyte fusion.

Purpose of the Study:

To review the challenges in studying sperm capacitation.
To summarize recent findings on the regulation of sperm capacitation.
To highlight advances in understanding the signaling pathways involved.

Main Methods:

Review of recent scientific literature.
Analysis of proteomic approaches to identify signaling molecules.
Discussion of established and emerging signaling pathways.

Main Results:

Recent research has clarified mechanisms regulating sperm capacitation.
A soluble adenylyl cyclase activated by bicarbonate plays a key role.
This pathway drives sperm protein tyrosine phosphorylation, with SRC tyrosine kinase as a potential mediator.
Proteomic studies identified diverse cellular activities for tyrosine phosphorylated substrates.

Conclusions:

Significant progress has been made in understanding sperm capacitation signaling.
Further research is needed to identify all involved kinases and phosphatases.
Elucidating the functional significance of specific tyrosine phosphorylations and inter-species variations is crucial.