CHANGES OCCURRING IN THE HEAD OF BOAR SPERMATOZOA: VESICULATION OR VACUOLATION OF THE ACROSOME?

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Abstract
The sequence of structural changes in the head of mammalian spermatozoa which have been associated with ageing or death (see review by Hancock, 1966) were determined in bull spermatozoa by Saacke & Marshall (1968). Bedford (1970) considered this acrosomal disintegration to be a `nonspecific degeneration' or `false' acrosomal reaction, quite different from the `true' acrosomal reaction (Barros, Bedford, Franklin & Austin, 1967) which involves vesiculation of the opposing acrosomal and plasma membranes. These reactions do not, however, account for all morphological modifications of the acrosome and the subject has therefore been examined further. This report summarizes the results of a number of studies, and records for boar spermatozoa the degenerative changes already described in bull spermatozoa by Saacke & Marshall (1968), which involved vacuolation of the acrosome. Another sequence of changes, not previously reported and which involves vesiculation of the acrosome, is also described. Experiment 1 involved further examination of

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