Secondary Microscopic Examination

MORPHOLOGICAL TEST

VITALITY TEST

NORMAL SPERM MORPHOLOGY

1. Sperm Head -  
   • oval, 
   • smooth-symmetrical outline, 
   • Length – 3 - 5 micrometer
   • Width – 2 - 3 micrometer.
2. The head should have a well defined Acrosome area of 40-70% of head.
3. Mid-piece –
   • Straight and slender, 
   • 0.5 um in width and 
   • 7-8um long, straightly aligned to the head. 
4. The tail must be straight and 45-50 um long. 

To be classified as normal, the sperm must be normal in all portions (head, mid-piece, tail).

SPERM MORPHOLOGY

> 4 Million/ml normal sperms	Normal Semen
< 4 Million/ml normal sperms	Teratospermia

Schematic drawings of some abnormal forms of human spermatozoa

SPERM STAINING FOR MORPHOLOGY OF SPERM

Staining kit consisting of:

• fixative reagent  (triarylmethane dye dissolved in methanol);
• staining solution 1 (eosinophilic  xanthene);
• staining solution 2 (basophilic thiazine).

Normal Sperm	ROUND	SMALL	AMORPHOUS
	PYRIFORM	TAPERED	>70 % ACROSOME

HEAD ABNORMALITIES

Normal Sperm	IRREGULAR  MIDPIECE	THICK MIDPIECE	THICK  AND LONG MIDPIECE
	SWOLLEN  MIDPIECE	INSERT  MIDPIECE	BEND MIDPIECE

MID PIECE ABNORMALITIES

NORML TAIL	COILED TAIL	BENT  TAIL
	DOUBLE TAIL	LOOPED TAIL

TAIL ABNORMALITIES

Normal Sperm

MULTIPLE ABNORMALITIES

ABNORMAL HEAD

ABNORMAL MID PIECE