Fine structural observations of sperm resorption in the seminal vesicle of a marine snail, Littorina scutulata (Gould, 1849).
Waste sperm and spermatozeugmata in the seminal vesicles of Littorina scutulata are phagocytised either by cell buds (large vesicles given off from the epithelial cells) or by the epithelial cells themselves. Cell buds containing sperm, are in turn engulfed by epithelial cells. In both cases, heterophagic vacuoles are formed inside of the cell and subsequently the vacuoles are fused with primary lysosomes or lysosomal derivatives to become secondary lysosomes. Throughout this process the sperm are being digested. The second lysosome transforms further to telolysosome and finally to residual body when the sperm is completely digested.
D000818:Animals; D008247:Lysosomes / Q000648:ultrastructure; D008297:Male; D008854:Microscopy, Electron; D010587:Phagocytosis; D012669:Seminal Vesicles / Q000502:physiology / Q000648:ultrastructure*; D012908:Snails / Q000648:ultrastructure*; D013094:Spermatozoa