The movements of human sperm are said to be closer to that of a playing otter than to that of a snake. To get to the oocyte, they swim by doing rotations on themselves, according to a study published this Friday in Science Advances .
Until now, scientists thought that male gametes move forward by waving their filament. An error due to the observation techniques used in 1677 by the Dutch microbiologist Antonie van Leeuwenhoek on his own sperm, according to the study, relayed by the American HuffPost . The scientist only had access to two-dimensional observation methods.
An asymmetrical swimming technique
British and Mexican researchers have used 3D microscopy to reconstruct the movement of reproductive cells. "The spermatozoon has developed a swimming technique to overcome its imbalance," explains Hermès Gadhela, main author of the study. “The head of the sperm rotates on itself at the same time as the tail of the sperm rotates around the axis of the direction of swimming. "
Gametes have "solved a mathematical problem on a microscopic scale by creating symmetry from asymmetry", marvels the researcher. "This discovery will revolutionize our understanding of sperm motility and its impact on natural fertilization," said Alberto Darszon, co-author of the work.
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