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Chapter 21 - DNA Damage: COMET Assay

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  05 April 2021

By
Luke Simon ,
Benjamin R. Emery  and
Douglas T. Carrell
Edited by
Ashok Agarwal ,
Ralf Henkel  and
Ahmad Majzoub
Ashok Agarwal
Affiliation:
The Cleveland Clinic Foundation, Cleveland, OH
Ralf Henkel
Affiliation:
University of the Western Cape, South Africa
Ahmad Majzoub
Affiliation:
Hamad Medical Corporation, Doha
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Summary

Sperm are highly specialized cells, evolved to function as vehicles for the transport of the paternal genome to the oocyte. The sperm cell is characterized by a distinct head, mid-piece and tail, structured for a streamlined function. The sperm head consists of the haploid paternal genome (23 chromosomes), packed in a specific tight manner with the help of specialized proteins called protamines. The mid-piece consists of the centrosome and mitochondria, organelles that provide energy for sperm propulsion from the tail. The unique sperm structure, complimented with its motility, helps the sperm to swim through the male and female reproductive tract and penetrate the egg. Therefore, the primary function of the sperm is to successfully deliver the paternal genome to the oocyte.

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Chapter
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Manual of Sperm Function Testing in Human Assisted Reproduction , pp. 202 - 212
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Print publication year: 2021

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References

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