On the ultrastructure of the spermatozoa in the Siberian hamster (Phodopus sungorus campbelli).
Spermatozoa of the Siberian hamster were examined using transmission and scanning electron microscopy. The sperm are approximately 119 microns in length and exhibit a falciform head typical of murine rodents. A rod-like structure runs almost the entire length of the subacrosomal space within the subacrosomal cytoskeleton. Scrolls of redundant nuclear membrane are consistently asymmetric on concave and convex sides of the sperm head with the convex side presenting much more elaborate whorls. Mitochondria in the middle piece number approximately 133 pairs and present either one or two distinct cross-sectional profiles. Determining the number of mitochondrial pairs is presented as a means of distinguishing among the various species or subspecies of Phodopus. Viewed in longitudinal section, the annulus also presents two different configurations; one profile is cuneiform, the other semilunar. The axonemal complex is typical of most rodent sperm flagellae. Dense fibers 1, 5 and 6 are substantially larger and fiber 9 is somewhat larger in diameter than the rest.
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Department of Anatomy, Wright State University School of Medicine, Dayton, Ohio 45435.
D000818:Animals; D006224:Cricetinae; D008297:Male; D008854:Microscopy, Electron; D008855:Microscopy, Electron, Scanning; D017111:Phodopus; D013094:Spermatozoa / Q000648:ultrastructure*