Atomic force microscopy: a powerful tool for high-resolution imaging of spermatozoa |
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Authors: | Sunil?Kumar Email author" target="_blank">Koel?ChaudhuryEmail author Prasenjit?Sen Sujoy?K?Guha |
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Institution: | (1) School of Medical Science and Technology, Indian Institute of Technology, Kharagpur, 721 302, India;(2) School of Physical Sciences, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi, 110067, India |
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Abstract: | Atomic force microscopy (AFM) has emerged as the only technique capable of real-time imaging of the surface of a living cell
at nano-resolution. Since AFM provides the advantage of directly observing living biological cells in their native environment,
this technique has found many applications in pharmacology, biotechnology, microbiology, structural and molecular biology,
genetics and other biology-related fields. AFM has also proved to be a valuable tool for reproductive biologists. An exhaustive
review on the various applications of AFM to sperm cells is presented. AFM has been extensively applied for determining the
structural and topological features of spermatozoa. Unstained, unfixed spermatozoa in their natural physiological surroundings
can be imaged by this technique which provides valuable information about the morphological and pathological defects in sperm
cells as three-dimensional images with precise topographical details. Sperm head defects and the acrosome at the tip of the
head responsible for fertilization, can be examined and correlated with the lack of functional integrity of the cell. Considerable
amount of work is reported on the structural details of the highly condensed chromatin in sperm head using AFM. Detailed information
on 3D topographical images of spermatozoa acquired by AFM is expected to provide a better understanding of various reproductive
pathways which, in turn, can facilitate improved infertility management and/or contraceptive development. |
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