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Chapter 5 - Life and Death in the Germ Line

Apoptosis and the Origins of DNA Damage in Human Spermatozoa

from Section 2 - Reproductive Biology and Cryobiology

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  27 March 2021

By
R John Aitken  and
Benjamin J Curry
Edited by
Jacques Donnez  and
S. Samuel Kim
Jacques Donnez
Affiliation:
Catholic University of Louvain, Brussels
S. Samuel Kim
Affiliation:
University of Kansas School of Medicine
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Summary

Apoptosis, a physiological process for the controlled deletion of cells, is critical for the regulation of cell numbers, the management of morphogenesis during embryonic development, and the orchestration of many cellular processes in the adult. Spermatogenesis, the production of functional spermatozoa from spermatogonial stem cells, is no exception. It appears that a functional apoptotic pathway is necessary for normal spermatogenesis to develop, and without it infertility ensues. Apoptosis also plays a crucial role in the maintenance of the testis and its response to external toxicants, as well as in the programmed senescence of terminally differentiated spermatozoa. This chapter focuses specifically on how apoptosis affects sperm quality and function, and the implications of this process for both embryonic development and the health and well-being of the offspring.

Type
Chapter
Information
Fertility Preservation
Principles and Practice
 , pp. 35 - 48
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Print publication year: 2021

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