Question

As spermatozoa travel through the epididymal duct they gain key factors that are needed for the spermatozoa to function outside of the male reproductive tract. What does each segment of the epididymis contribute? Include a drawing to illustrate your answer in the same below.

Answer 1

• The Spermatozoa have to go through several temporal maturation steps in a series of different location in order to be capable of penetrating into oocyte
• while oocyte maturation steps involve the storing of yolk and the process of meiosis ,functional maturation steps are required with the spermatozoa,which mainly involves their motile abilities along with their ability to penetrate through the egg covering

  MATURATION STEPS OF THE SPERMATOZOA IN THE EPIDIDYMIS

• Deposition of new protein in the nucleus ,the DNA becomes more condensed.
• The sperm head become smaller,thereby,and more compact.This is an important step for the later correct decondensation of the paternal DNA in the maternal oocyte.
• The already meager cytoplasma is further reduced,making the sperm cell more slender
• The ability for motility is achieved but at the same time inhibited by the milieu
• The structure of the plasma membrane is altered.This has effects on the motility,the capacitation ability and the ability for the acrosome reaction