title: Sperm morphology in stallions: ultrastructure as a functional and diagnostic tool.
abstract: Conventional light microscopic evaluation of a seminal ejaculate does not fully avail potential indicators of functional impairment in spermatozoal organelles. The technique of critical quantitative evaluation of morphologic features of individual structural components of spermatozoa at a light microscopic level in conjunction with critical qualitative evaluation of spermatozoal organelles at an ultrastructural level, as described in this article, is a valuable clinical tool. Compared with a battery of sperm function assays used in human andrology clinics, this relatively less expensive and simple technique is an efficient functional and diagnostic tool.
authors.affiliation: Animal Reproduction and Biotechnology Laboratory, Department of Biomedical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO 80523-1683, USA. d_n_rao.veeramachaneni@colostate.edu
authors.forename: D N Rao
authors.initials: DN
authors.lastname: Veeramachaneni
authors.forename: Carol L
authors.initials: CL
authors.lastname: Moeller
authors.forename: Heywood R
authors.initials: HR
authors.lastname: Sawyer
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002843:Chromatin / Q000648:ultrastructure; D005298:Fertility; D006734:Horse Diseases / Q000473:pathology*; D006736:Horses / Q000033:anatomy & histology* / Q000502:physiology; D007248:Infertility, Male / Q000473:pathology / Q000662:veterinary*; D008297:Male; D046529:Microscopy, Electron, Transmission / Q000662:veterinary; D008928:Mitochondria / Q000648:ultrastructure; D012661:Semen / Q000166:cytology; D012670:Seminiferous Epithelium / Q000648:ultrastructure; D012708:Sertoli Cells / Q000648:ultrastructure; D013073:Sperm Agglutination / Q000502:physiology; D013094:Spermatozoa / Q000002:abnormalities / Q000648:ultrastructure*; D016707:Tissue Fixation / Q000379:methods / Q000662:veterinary
chemical_list: D002843:Chromatin