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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...

Oogenesis

Oogenesis

In human women, oogenesis produces one mature egg cell or ovum for every precursor cell that enters meiosis. This process differs in two unique ways from the equivalent procedure of spermatogenesis in males. First, meiotic divisions during oogenesis are asymmetric, meaning that a large oocyte (containing most of the cytoplasm) and minor polar body are produced as a result of meiosis I, and again following meiosis II. Since only oocytes will go on to form embryos if fertilized, this unequal...

Meiosis vs. Mitosis

Meiosis vs. Mitosis

Cell division is necessary for growth and reproduction in organisms. Mitosis aids cell growth and development by dividing somatic cells. In contrast, meiosis causes the division of germ cells and plays an essential role in sexual reproduction. Due to their unique functional requirements, mitosis and meiosis differ from each other in multiple aspects.
Before the start of mitosis and meiosis I, the cell synthesizes DNA, resulting in two homologous copies of each chromosome. DNA synthesis is...

Spontaneous and Induced Mutations

Spontaneous and Induced Mutations

Spontaneous mutations arise infrequently during DNA replication due to errors in the process. A key factor behind these errors is tautomeric shifts in nitrogenous bases, where bases transition from keto to enol forms or amino to imino forms. This shift can alter base-pairing rules, leading to mutations. Additionally, reactive oxygen species (ROS) arising from aerobic metabolism can damage DNA, resulting in depurination (loss of a purine base) or depyrimidination (loss of a pyrimidine base).

Nondisjunction

Nondisjunction

Nondisjunction is the failure of homologous chromosomes or sister chromatids to separate correctly and move to the opposite poles of the cells. This produces daughter cells with abnormal chromosome numbers. Nondisjunction is common during anaphase I or anaphase II of meiosis. Mutations in synaptonemal complex proteins that attach homologous chromosomes increase the chances of nondisjunction in anaphase I of meiosis I. In contrast, mutations in topoisomerases and condensins that hold sister...

Nondisjunction

Nondisjunction

During meiosis, chromosomes occasionally separate improperly. This occurs due to failure of homologous chromosome separation during meiosis I or failed sister chromatid separation during meiosis II. In some species, notably plants, nondisjunction can result in an organism with an entire additional set of chromosomes, which is called polyploidy. In humans, nondisjunction can occur during male or female gametogenesis and the resulting gametes possess one too many or one too few chromosomes.

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Related Experiment Video

Updated: May 30, 2026

Flow Cytometric Analysis of Biomarkers for Detecting Human Sperm Functional Defects

Flow Cytometric Analysis of Biomarkers for Detecting Human Sperm Functional Defects

Published on: April 21, 2022

[Sperm DNA damage and unexplained recurrent spontaneous abortion].

Cheng-Jun Liu¹, Ai-Ming Wang, Wei Shang

¹Reproductive Center, Navy General Hospital, Beijing 100048, China.

Zhonghua Nan Ke Xue = National Journal of Andrology

|August 10, 2011

Summary

Sperm DNA damage, measured by DNA fragmentation index (DFI), is significantly higher in men whose partners experience unexplained recurrent spontaneous abortion (URSA). This finding suggests a link between male DNA integrity and recurrent pregnancy loss.

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Flow Cytometric Analysis of Biomarkers for Detecting Human Sperm Functional Defects

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Human Blastocyst Biopsy and Vitrification

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Published on: July 26, 2019

Area of Science:

Reproductive biology
Genetics
Andrology

Context:

Unexplained recurrent spontaneous abortion (URSA) affects numerous couples.
Male factor infertility, including sperm DNA damage, is increasingly recognized as a contributor.
Sperm DNA fragmentation impacts embryo development and implantation.

Purpose:

To investigate the association between sperm DNA damage and URSA.
To quantify sperm DNA fragmentation in men with a history of URSA compared to controls.

Summary:

Sperm DNA fragmentation was assessed using sperm chromatin dispersion (SCD) and reported as DNA fragmentation index (DFI).
Men partnered with women experiencing URSA (n=56) showed significantly higher DFI compared to controls (n=31).
A higher percentage of subjects in the URSA group exceeded a DFI threshold of 30%.

Impact:

Establishes a correlation between elevated sperm DNA damage and URSA.
Highlights the potential role of male gamete quality in recurrent pregnancy loss.
Suggests sperm DNA fragmentation assessment may be valuable in evaluating couples with URSA.