{"id":15230,"date":"2020-05-01T16:23:37","date_gmt":"2020-05-01T16:23:37","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/givelegacy.wpengine.com\/?post_type=resource&#038;p=959"},"modified":"2023-06-14T14:57:50","modified_gmt":"2023-06-14T14:57:50","slug":"overview-sperm-anatomy","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.givelegacy.com\/resources\/overview-sperm-anatomy\/","title":{"rendered":"An overview of sperm anatomy &#038; morphology"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Overview of Sperm Anatomy<\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Sperm meets egg and makes a baby\u2014it\u2019s a simple equation you learned back in high school biology. But what is sperm? What are its components, and what are those components made of? Understanding the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.givelegacy.com\/what-is-sperm\/\">sperm<\/a> anatomy is the first step toward understanding sperm health.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Components of sperm anatomy<\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Sperm is the male sex cell, also known as a gamete. Measuring approximately 0.05 millimeter (0.002 inch) long, sperm cells are made up of a few distinct parts:<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">the tail, made up of protein fibers, which helps it \u201cswim\u201d toward the egg<\/span><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">the midpiece, or body, which contains mitochondria to power the sperm\u2019s movement<\/span><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">the head, which houses the nucleus where the sperm\u2019s precious cargo\u2014genetic information\u2014is stored, as well as the acrosomal vesicle, a tiny structure at the tip of the sperm full of enzymes that helps the sperm penetrate the egg by digesting proteins and sugars on the surface of the egg.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Each sperm cell contains 23 chromosomes, which is half the number of chromosomes in a typical human cell; it\u2019s known as a \u201chaploid\u201d cell. A chromosome is a molecule of DNA, the material that guides the growth and development of the entire human body. The egg contains the other half. Together, they create a fully realized cell of 46 chromosomes (known as a \u201cdiploid\u201d cell), which then divides to become all of the other cells in the body. The fact that half of our DNA comes from the sperm and the other half from the egg is why we inherit some traits from each of our parents.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">One of the most important thing that the genetics of sperm\u2014and sperm alone\u2014determines is the baby\u2019s physical sex. If you\u2019ve ever heard of the terms \u201cXX\u201d (to describe female) and \u201cXY\u201d (to describe male), these refer to the shape of the chromosomes that contains the genes that determine sex. Like all chromosomes, you get one (always an X) from the egg, and the other (either an X or a Y) from the sperm.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Some emerging research suggests that the percentage of X-chromosome-carrying sperm vs. the percentage of Y-chromosome-carrying sperm (in other words, his chances of fathering a boy or a girl) an individual man has may be determined by genetics\u2014and it may not always be 50\/50.<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">1<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Creating sperm anatomy: spermatogenesis<\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Sperm are produced in the testes (testicles) in a process called spermatogenesis. Approximately 50\u2013100 million viable sperm are produced by the testes each day.<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">2<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> It takes about 74 days to create the full anatomy of sperm.<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">3<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The process starts in vessels within the testes called seminiferous tubules, where stem cells divide to create immature haploid sperm cells with short tails. The sperm then moves to the epididymis, a duct behind each testis, where they develop their fully mature sperm anatomy. Sperm are stored in the epididymis until ejaculation. During ejaculation, the sperm travel from the epididymis to the urethra in the penis via another duct called the vas deferens. If sperm aren\u2019t ejaculated, they\u2019re eventually reabsorbed by the epididymis.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Spermatogenesis begins at puberty and continues, typically uninterrupted, until death. (There will, however, be changes in the health and quantity of the sperm with age.) The process is driven by the male sex hormone testosterone.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">How fertilization\u2014and conception\u2014works<\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The process of natural conception begins with ejaculation, in which 80\u2013300 million sperm are released in a fluid called semen. Sperm anatomy is essential to fertilization. The sperm travel, propelled by alternate contractions of their tail and assisted by the female reproductive system, approximately 8 inches per hour from the vagina, through the cervix, to the uterus and fallopian tubes, where hopefully, they will meet an egg. (If there\u2019s no egg there yet, that\u2019s actually okay\u2014sperm can live in the fallopian tubes for up to 5 days.)<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">There are plenty of obstacles along the way: the acidity of the vagina, the cervical mucus, and the potential of going toward the wrong fallopian tube that doesn\u2019t have an egg in it at all. Sperm with anatomy that\u2019s abnormal or defective fall prey to these dangers, along with a good percentage of healthy sperm. Less than 1 in a million sperm from the original ejaculate will make it to the egg.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Sperm anatomy changes as a sperm travels through the vagina, cervix, uterus, and fallopian tubes. This phenomenon is known as \u201ccapacitation,\u201d and these alterations to the sperm anatomy are actually made <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">by<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> the secretions of the female reproductive system. Firstly, the membrane of the sperm changes to allow it to \u201cstick\u201d to the egg. Secondly, the sperm enter a state called \u201chyperactivation,\u201d in which they move faster and their tails beat more forcefully; this helps with the penetration of the egg.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Finally, when a sperm reaches an egg, it goes through a process called the acrosome reaction. After its membrane binds to the egg\u2019s outer membrane, the contents of the sperm\u2019s acrosome\u2014the \u201ccap\u201d atop its pointed head\u2014are exposed. The enzymes within the acrosome begin to dissolve the tough outer layers of the egg so that the sperm head can sink into the egg.<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">4 <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Many sperm may begin this process by fusing to the outside of the egg, but once a single sperm enters the egg\u2019s interior, the egg\u2019s membrane hardens, preventing other sperm from penetrating.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Sperm parameters<\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Three characteristics of sperm determine fertility: how many sperm there are (sperm count\/concentration), how efficiently those sperm are moving (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.givelegacy.com\/sperm-quality\/\">sperm motility<\/a>), and how many of them have proper sperm anatomy and structure (sperm morphology). These parameters can be tested in a <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/givelegacy.com\/sperm-analysis\"><b>semen analysis.<\/b><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Sperm count and concentration<\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p><b>Sperm count<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> is the total number of sperm in a particular quantity of semen, the fluid that carries sperm out of the penis. <\/span><b>Sperm concentration<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> refers to how densely packed those sperm are within the semen. For example, a sample may include 3 milliliters of semen and a total sperm count of 45 million; that would be a concentration of 15 million sperm per mL.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Fifteen million sperm per milliliter of semen is considered a normal sperm concentration, but researchers have noted that concentrations under 40 million\/mL may impede chances of pregnancy.<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">5,6 <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Having too little sperm in your semen is known as oligospermia; having no sperm at all is known as azoospermia.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Sperm motility<\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p><b>Motility<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> refers to the ability of the sperm to move or \u201cswim,\u201d which is essential for them to move through the female reproductive system and fertilize the egg. <\/span><b>Progressive motility<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> is the best type of movement that can be seen in sperm testing\u2014that means the sperm move forward in straight lines or in large circles, as opposed to in small tight circles or along erratic paths.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Ideally, 40\u201350% of your sperm are motile.<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">5<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Poor sperm motility or asthenospermia is diagnosed when less than 32% of the sperm are able to move efficiently.<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">5<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Sperm morphology<\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p><b>Morphology<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> means the sperm\u2019s anatomy, structure, and shape, which is ideally:<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">a smooth oval head<\/span><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">a well-defined acrosome, or cap, that covers 40\u201370% of the head<\/span><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">a midpiece and a long tail with no visible abnormalities<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Every man will have <\/span><b>some<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> abnormal sperm anatomy. In fact, a healthy man may have as little as 4\u201314% normal sperm.<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">7 <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Poor sperm morphology, as evidenced by a very low percentage of sperm with normal anatomy, is known as teratozoospermia.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Potential abnormalities in sperm anatomy<\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Abnormal morphology can take a number of forms.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Abnormalities in the sperm head anatomy, size, or shape<\/span><\/h4>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Amorphous heads<\/span><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Pyriform heads<\/span><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Vacuolated heads<\/span><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Tapering heads<\/span><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Elongated heads<\/span><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Large heads\u2014more than 6\u00b5m long\/3\u00b5m wide<\/span><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Small heads\u2014less than 3\u00b5m long\/2\u00b5m wide<\/span><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Small acrosome\u2014covers less than 40% of the sperm head<\/span><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Absence of the acrosome<\/span><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Absence of the sperm head (AKA \u201cdecapitated sperm\u201d)<\/span><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Multiple sperm heads<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Defects in the sperm midpiece or \u201cneck\u201d<\/span><\/h4>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Bent neck<\/span><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Wide neck\u2014more than 2\u00b5m wide<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Abnormalities in the sperm tail<\/span><\/h4>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Coiled tail<\/span><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Broken tail<\/span><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cHairpin\u201d tail<\/span><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Absence of sperm tail (AKA \u201cdetached head\u201d sperm)<\/span><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Multiple sperm tails<\/span><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Short or \u201cstump\u201d tail\u2014less than 45\u00b5m long<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Cytoplasm<\/span><\/h4>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The presence of droplets of excess residual cytoplasm, or cell material that once held immature sperm together but should have been removed during the maturation process. These droplets can be found anywhere on the sperm anatomy.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">How sperm anatomy affects fertility<\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Proper sperm anatomy is important because, as you learned above, it impacts a sperm\u2019s ability to travel to and penetrate an egg. Motility and morphology are interconnected\u2014the shape of a sperm can affect its ability to move as well as its speed. Sperm with abnormal anatomy may not reach the egg at all, or may not be able to penetrate the egg for fertilization. Additionally, emerging research is illuminating the relationship between sperm anatomy and the health of a pregnancy, suggesting that poor morphology may be a contributor to miscarriage.<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">15<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">However, some men with abnormal sperm anatomy are nonetheless fertile and able to produce completely healthy pregnancies. A low percentage of normal sperm\u2014or even no normally shaped sperm at all\u2014does not necessarily mean you are infertile. In fact, in one study, nearly 30% of men with 0% normal morphology were still able to achieve pregnancy with their partner without fertility treatment, as compared to 55% of men with healthy morphology results.<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">8<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The relationship between morphology and fertility is not completely understood.<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">14<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">What affects sperm anatomy?<\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Sperm morphology, the proper anatomy of sperm, can be impacted by many factors, including:<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><b>Diet<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. Studies demonstrate that the so-called \u201cWestern diet,\u201d which is higher in refined grains, fried foods, red meat, and added sugars, is associated with poor morphology, as is a diet high in processed meats.<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">9,10<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> The development of healthy sperm anatomy can be supported by diets rich in folic acid, omega-3 fatty acids, and antioxidants.<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">11<\/span><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><b>Physical activity<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. Research demonstrates that physically active men have improved sperm morphology when compared to their more sedentary counterparts.<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">12<\/span><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><b>Cigarette smoking<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. Smoking is strongly correlated with poor sperm morphology.<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">13<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><b>Genetic factors<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. Certain abnormalities in sperm anatomy may be inherited.<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">14<\/span><\/b><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Age<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. Studies indicate declines in normal sperm morphology of 0.2% to 0.9% per year of age, or a 4\u201318% decrease between age 20 and age 40.<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">16<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Changing your lifestyle can have a significant impact on the health of your sperm and the development of proper sperm anatomy.&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">References:<\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ol class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Trends in Population Sex Ratios May be Explained by Changes in the Frequencies of Polymorphic Alleles of a Sex Ratio Gene: <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/link.springer.com\/article\/10.1007%2Fs11692-008-9046-3\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">https:\/\/link.springer.com\/article\/10.1007%2Fs11692-008-9046-3<\/span><\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Fertility and the Aging Male: <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/pmc\/articles\/PMC3253726\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">https:\/\/www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/pmc\/articles\/PMC3253726\/<\/span><\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Kinetics of the germinal epithelium in man: <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/eurekamag.com\/research\/024\/923\/024923058.php\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">https:\/\/eurekamag.com\/research\/024\/923\/024923058.php<\/span><\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Acrosome reaction in human spermatozoa: <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.sciencedirect.com\/science\/article\/abs\/pii\/S0015028216493441\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">https:\/\/www.sciencedirect.com\/science\/article\/abs\/pii\/S0015028216493441<\/span><\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">World Health Organization reference values for human semen characteristics: <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.who.int\/reproductivehealth\/topics\/infertility\/cooper_et_al_hru.pdf\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">https:\/\/www.who.int\/reproductivehealth\/topics\/infertility\/cooper_et_al_hru.pdf<\/span><\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Normal reference ranges for semen quality and their relations to fecundity: <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/pmc\/articles\/PMC3739681\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">https:\/\/www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/pmc\/articles\/PMC3739681\/<\/span><\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Clinical significance of the low normal sperm morphology value as proposed in the fifth edition of the WHO Laboratory Manual for the Examination and Processing of Human Semen: <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/pmc\/articles\/PMC3739680\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">https:\/\/www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/pmc\/articles\/PMC3739680\/<\/span><\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Men with a complete absence of normal sperm morphology exhibit high rates of success without assisted reproduction: <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/pubmed\/27751992\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">https:\/\/www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/pubmed\/27751992<\/span><\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Association of Dietary Patterns With Testicular Function in Young Danish Men: <a href=\"https:\/\/jamanetwork.com\/journals\/jamanetworkopen\/fullarticle\/2761546?utm_source=For_The_Media&amp;utm_medium=referral&amp;utm_campaign=ftm_links&amp;utm_term=022120#zoi190810r32\">https:\/\/jamanetwork.com\/journals\/jamanetworkopen\/fullarticle\/2761546?utm_source=For_The_Media&amp;utm_medium=referral&amp;utm_campaign=ftm_links&amp;utm_term=022120#zoi190810r32<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Meat intake and semen parameters among men attending a fertility clinic: <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.fertstert.org\/article\/S0015-0282%2813%2902544-2\/fulltext\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">https:\/\/www.fertstert.org\/article\/S0015-0282%2813%2902544-2\/fulltext<\/span><\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Diet and men&#8217;s fertility: does diet affect sperm quality?: <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.fertstert.org\/article\/S0015-0282(18)30426-6\/fulltext\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">https:\/\/www.fertstert.org\/article\/S0015-0282(18)30426-6\/fulltext<\/span><\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Physically active men show better semen parameters and hormone values than sedentary men: <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/pubmed\/22234399\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">https:\/\/www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/pubmed\/22234399<\/span><\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Tobacco smoking and semen quality in infertile males: a systematic review and meta-analysis: <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/bmcpublichealth.biomedcentral.com\/articles\/10.1186\/s12889-018-6319-3\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">https:\/\/bmcpublichealth.biomedcentral.com\/articles\/10.1186\/s12889-018-6319-3<\/span><\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Sperm Morphology (Shape): Does It Affect Fertility?: <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.reproductivefacts.org\/news-and-publications\/patient-fact-sheets-and-booklets\/documents\/fact-sheets-and-info-booklets\/sperm-morphology-shape-does-it-affect-fertility\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">https:\/\/www.reproductivefacts.org\/news-and-publications\/patient-fact-sheets-and-booklets\/documents\/fact-sheets-and-info-booklets\/sperm-morphology-shape-does-it-affect-fertility\/<\/span><\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Assessment of sperm factors possibly involved in early recurrent pregnancy loss: <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/pubmed\/19540481\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">https:\/\/www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/pubmed\/19540481<\/span><\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Fertility and the Aging Male: <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/pmc\/articles\/PMC3253726\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">https:\/\/www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/pmc\/articles\/PMC3253726\/<\/span><\/a><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Overview of Sperm Anatomy Sperm meets egg and makes a baby\u2014it\u2019s a simple equation you learned back in high school biology. But what is sperm? What are its components, and what are those components made of? Understanding the sperm anatomy is the first step toward understanding sperm health. Components of sperm anatomy Sperm is the [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":14,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_seopress_robots_primary_cat":"none","_seopress_titles_title":"%%post_title%% %%sep%% %%sitetitle%%","_seopress_titles_desc":"What is the anatomy of sperm? Here we explore the sperm head, sperm midpiece, and sperm tail in detail and consider potential abnormalities.","_seopress_robots_index":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[114,136,98,70,35,105],"tags":[138,139,137,140],"class_list":["post-15230","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-male-fertility-basics-understanding-male-health","category-male-fertility-basics","category-testing-sperm","category-trying-to-conceive","category-understanding-male-health","category-male-fertility-basics-testing-sperm","tag-anatomy","tag-male-fertility-101","tag-sperm-morphology","tag-sperm-science"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.givelegacy.com\/vnext\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/15230"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.givelegacy.com\/vnext\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.givelegacy.com\/vnext\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.givelegacy.com\/vnext\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/14"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.givelegacy.com\/vnext\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=15230"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.givelegacy.com\/vnext\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/15230\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":17617,"href":"https:\/\/www.givelegacy.com\/vnext\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/15230\/revisions\/17617"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.givelegacy.com\/vnext\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=15230"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.givelegacy.com\/vnext\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=15230"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.givelegacy.com\/vnext\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=15230"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}