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  • 25502425158133712751212810450630598226435PublicAssets/3590Developing spermatids (precursors of mature sperm cells) begin as small, round cells and mature into long-tailed, tadpole-shaped ones. In the sperm cell's head is the cell nucleus; in its tail is the power to outswim thousands of competitors to fertilize an egg. As seen in this microscopy image, fruit fly spermatids start out as groups of interconnected cells. A small lipid molecule called PIP2 helps spermatids tell their heads from their tails. Here, PIP2 (red) marks the nuclei and a cell skeleton-building protein called tubulin (green) marks the tails. When PIP2 levels are too low, some spermatids get mixed up and grow with their heads at the wrong end. Because sperm development is similar across species, studies in fruit flies could help researchers understand male infertility in humans.Lacramioara Fabian, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, CanadaLacramioara Fabian and Julie Brill, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, CanadaPhotograph

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    CellsGenesMolecular StructuresTools and Techniques

    Fruit fly spermatids

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    Developing spermatids (precursors of mature sperm cells) begin as small, round cells and mature into long-tailed, tadpole-shaped ones. In the sperm cell's head is the cell nucleus; in its tail is the power to outswim thousands of competitors to fertilize an egg. As seen in this microscopy image, fruit fly spermatids start out as groups of interconnected cells. A small lipid molecule called PIP2 helps spermatids tell their heads from their tails. Here, PIP2 (red) marks the nuclei and a cell skeleton-building protein called tubulin (green) marks the tails. When PIP2 levels are too low, some spermatids get mixed up and grow with their heads at the wrong end. Because sperm development is similar across species, studies in fruit flies could help researchers understand male infertility in humans.

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    Lacramioara Fabian, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Canada

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    Lacramioara Fabian and Julie Brill, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Canada

    Record Type

    Photograph

    ID

    3590

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