Fine structure of spermatozoa of the Asiatic musk shrew, Suncus murinus

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Abstract
The fine structure of spermatozoa of the Asian musk shrew, Suncus murinus, has been investigated using air‐dried and critical‐point‐dried replicas in addition to freeze‐fractured specimens. Asymmetry in the structure of the head, notably the acrosome, can be recognized in critical‐point‐dried replicas as a slight dorsoventral convexity not apparent in air‐dried specimens. Freezeetching reveals a dense accumulation of intramembranous particles just anterior to the posterior ring, but relatively few other characteristic membrane conformations associated with the head. Gelatin smears visualized with the light microscope show a vigorous lytic response, but preliminary efforts to remove the acrosome by physiological or enzymatic incubation have thus far not been successful.