What Is In A Sperm Cell?

The structure of a mammalian sperm cell has been known for some time but research has recently revealed all of the 381 proteins present in the sperm of the fruit fly. Why would this ever be of interest to anyone, I hear you ask?

Well, the fruit fly is a very useful insect for studying genetics and, amazingly, its sperm are very similar to human sperm. About half of the genes that code for proteins in the sperm are the same in the insects as they are in human men.

The researchers involved think that this first ever catalogue of the different types of proteins found in sperm could help reveal the origins of sex and explain some of the mysteries of infertility.

The catalogue of proteins has been named the sperm's 'proteome'  and it represents everything the sperm needs to survive and function correctly. Scientists can use it to investigate the factors that make some sperm more successful than others and to shed light on some of the factors that lead to male infertility.