Author
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Bakst, Murray |
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Submitted to: Midwest Poultry Federation Proceedings
Publication Type: Proceedings Publication Acceptance Date: 5/1/1997 Publication Date: N/A Citation: N/A Interpretive Summary: In poultry, artificial insemination (AI) is a 2-step procedure involving the collection of semen from a male and then the insemination of semen into a hen. High fertility is only obtained with the AI of good quality semen. Little is know about the impact of seminal plasma components (the liquid portion of semen) on sperm (the cellular component of semen) viability. Nor is there much known about the origin of the various components which form the seminal plasma. This review paper discusses the mechanism of semen formation at the time of ejaculation and offers speculation on the impact of different seminal plasma components on sperm fertilizing ability. This knowledge is useful for all involved in the collection and insemination of poultry semen in industry and those doing research on evaluating semen quality. Technical Abstract: The mechanism of semen formation in poultry, the component parts of semen, and how these mechanisms and components may, under certain circumstances, interact at the time of ejaculation to produce poor quality semen is reviewed. Sperm are produced by "germ" cells lining the seminiferous epithelium (SE) in the testes. Mature sperm along with fluids produced by other cells in the SE progress though the excurrent duct system, which is the male reproductive tract, and at ejaculation is further diluted with a vascular transudate referred to as transparent fluid. Among the numerous constituent components of seminal plasma are antibodies. How these antibodies gain access to the semen and their impact on sperm function remains speculative. |
