What should morphology be

It is best to check with your physician to see which method was used to assess sperm shape and the significance of the results. Yes, it can. However, having higher amounts of abnormally shaped sperm has been associated with infertility in some studies. Usually, higher numbers of abnormally shaped sperm are associated with other irregularities of the semen such as low sperm count or motility. Men with abnormally shaped sperm may also have no trouble causing a pregnancy.

Once the sperm enters the egg, fertilization has a good chance of taking place. No one is sure why the sperm shape matters. Although some men with abnormal sperm morphology have conceived naturally, studies show that infertile patients tend to have a significantly lower sperm morphology. And a study of over couples undergoing intrauterine insemination IUI found that sperm morphology did not impact pregnancy rates. The majority of studies, including the two noted above, show a strong correlation between higher ranges of normal forms and successful pregnancy.

This is why most physicians agree that sperm morphology is an important factor in the overall male fertility picture, and why it is measured in a semen analysis. Underneath the microscope, medical experts and physicians look for the following visual parameters. A normal sperm should also have no visible abnormalities on the neck, midpiece, or tail. Learn more about sperm anatomy. Examples of common abnormalities include:.

Morphology is tested as part of a semen analysis, often the first line of male fertility testing. Typically, the semen sample is stained to allow for easier visualization of the sperm, which are then evaluated, one by one, under a high-powered microscope.

Because these use different methods to determine whether sperm is normal or abnormal, they may affect the way your results can be interpreted. When you get a semen analysis done, you can take a look at your sperm morphology along with all of the other important factors related to male fertility, like sperm count, concentration, and motility. Multiple factors, from genetics to lifestyle to environment, can affect your sperm morphology and overall sperm quality. Below are some of the most common factors that have an impact on sperm morphology.

Sperm morphology tends to decrease as you age. Studies show a decline in normal sperm morphology of 0. Your lifestyle plays a significant role in your fertility. Factors like smoking, drug and alcohol consumption, diet, exercise, weight, sleep and stress may all impact your sperm morphology. Physically active men have been shown to have improved sperm morphology, along with other semen parameters and healthier hormone profiles for fertility, compared to their more sedentary counterparts.

Smoking has long been considered one of the leading risk factors in male infertility, and a review found a strong correlation between smoking and poor sperm morphology. Note that it takes about three months to make and transit the new sperm, so any changes in diet or lifestyle will require some time before improvements are seen.

Due to the effects of aging, some physicians will recommend that a man freeze his sperm earlier in life if he expects he will be waiting until later in life to have a child. This allows a man to have the healthiest sperm available when looking to start a family at any age. The sperm freezing and banking process works best only when the man has adequate normal healthy sperm.

Sperm can be misshaped based on the size of the head, having an extra head, and having no head or tail. Other sperm defects include bent tail, coiled-tail, stump-tail and not having the tail attached at the correct location.

What is sperm morphology? Below are the Kruger Strict Criteria scores and their explanations: Over 14 percent of sperm have normal morphology — high probability of fertility percent — fertility slightly decreased percent — fertility extremely impaired.

Types of sperm morphology Normal-shaped sperm. A normal sperm will have an oval-shaped head, an intact midpiece and an uncoiled single tail. Sperm with normal morphology are able to swim well and in a straight line.

Normal sperm will also contain healthy genetic information rather than having too many or too few chromosomes, which are common in abnormally shaped sperm. Macrocephaly sperm. Macrocephaly refers to when the sperm has a giant head. Macrocephalic sperm may be caused by homozygous mutation of the aurora kinase C gene.

This means that because this kind of sperm abnormality may be genetic, fathers may be able to pass the condition on to their sons. Microcephaly, or small-head sperm. Small-head sperm may have defective acrosome a pocket of enzymes in the sperm head used to enter the egg or reduced genetic material. Pinhead sperm. Pinhead sperm , a variation of the small-head sperm, is when the head appears as a pin with minimal to no paternal DNA content.

The presence of pinhead sperm may point to a diabetic condition. Tapered head sperm. These tapered head sperm often contain abnormal chromatin or packaging of the paternal DNA genetic material. Abnormal number of sperm chromosomes called aneuploidy has been shown in tapered head sperm.