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The structural organisation of sperm head components of the wombat and koala (suborder: Vombatiformes): an enigma amongst marsupials

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  20 March 2001

WILLIAM G. BREED ,
CHRISTOPHER M. LEIGH  and
MARIO RICCI
WILLIAM G. BREED
Affiliation:
Department of Anatomical Sciences, University of Adelaide, Australia
CHRISTOPHER M. LEIGH
Affiliation:
Department of Anatomical Sciences, University of Adelaide, Australia
MARIO RICCI
Affiliation:
Department of Anatomical Sciences, University of Adelaide, Australia
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Abstract

The sperm head structural organisation of the koala and hairy-nosed wombat, and the effects of varying concentrations of the ionic detergent, Triton X-100, on its component parts, were determined by electron microscopy. Although alike in form between the 2 species, the sperm nucleus of the former, but not the latter, had nuclear vacuoles and appeared to be more easily dispersed by the Triton X-100. The structure of the acrosome of the spermatozoon was similar between the 2 species and, in both, previously undescribed thin posterior and lateral segments were found to be present. It is suggested that this thin segment may facilitate sperm-zona and/or sperm-oolemma binding and fusion.

Keywords

Sperm structuremarsupials
Type
Research Article
Information
The Journal of Anatomy , Volume 198 , Issue 1 , January 2001 , pp. 57 - 66
Copyright
© Anatomical Society of Great Britain and Ireland 2001

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