The Fate of the Male Germ Cell

1. Front Matter

   Pages i-xv

   PDF

2. Human Reproduction

   1. Human Reproduction

      • B. P. Setchell

      Pages 1-15

3. Genes,Chromosomes,and Fertility

   1. Human Y Chromosome Deletions in Yq11 and Male Fertility

      • P. H. Vogt

      Pages 17-30

   2. Frequency of Y-Chromosome Microdeletions (Yq11.22–23) in Men with Reduced Sperm Quality Requesting Assisted Reproduction

      • A. Bonhoff, R. Fischer, V. Baukloh, O. G. J. Naether, W. Schulze, W. Höppner

      Pages 31-35

   3. Histone Gene Expression and Chromatin Structure during Spermatogenesis

      • D. Doenecke, B. Drabent, C. Bode, B. Bramlage, K. Franke, K. Gavénis et al.

      Pages 37-48

   4. Histone Gene Expression in the Human Testis

      • O. Witt, K. Gavénis, D. Doenecke

      Pages 49-50

4. Germ Cell Differentiation and Tumorigenesis

   1. Endocrine Control of Germ Cell Proliferation in the Primate Testis

      • G. F. Weinbauer, E. Nieschlag

      Pages 51-58

   2. Quantification of Somatic and Spermatogenic Cell Proliferation in Testes of Ruminants

      • H. Roelants, S. Blottner

      Pages 59-60

   3. The Immortalized Mouse Germ Cell Lines GC-1spg and GC-2spd as a Model for Mitochondrial Differentiation during Meiosis

      • A. Meinhardt, H. Renneberg, A. Dersch, G. Wennemuth, J. L. Millán, G. Aumüller et al.

      Pages 61-63

   4. A Novel Endozepine-Like Peptide (ELP) is Exclusively Expressed in Male Germ Cells

      • W. Pusch, M. Balvers, N. Hunt, R. Ivell

      Pages 65-66

   5. Investigation on the Proliferation of Spermatogonia in Normal and Pathologic Human Seminiferous Epithelium

      • K. Steger, I. Aleithe, M. Bergmann

      Pages 67-68

   6. Rapid Method to Detect CIS-Cells

      • H. Lauke

      Pages 69-70

   7. Testicular Tumor Cells Pass through the Epididymal Ducts

      • D. Benson, H. Lauke, M. Hartmann

      Pages 71-72

   8. AgNOR in Human Leydig Cell Tumors

      • M. Mueller, H. Lauke

      Pages 73-74

   9. Endocrinological Disturbances in Germ Cell Tumour Patients

      • T. Böhmer, T. Pottek, H. Büttner, M. Hartmann

      Pages 75-76

   10. Reinvestigation of Patients After Primary Therapy of Testicular Tumor

       • K. H. Schölermann, H. Lauke, H. Huland, M. Hartmann

       Pages 77-78

   11. Carcinoma-in-Situ in Testes with Germ Cell Tumour

       • T. Pottek, H. Lauke, M. Hartmann

       Pages 79-80

   12. Intratesticular Sperm Extraction

       • W. Schulze, U. A. Knuth, D. Jezek, D. M. Benson, R. Fischer, O. G. J. Naether et al.

       Pages 81-88

5. The Role of the Testicular Accessory Cells

   1. Molecular Pathophysiology of the Pituitary-Gonadal Axis

      • M. Simoni, J. Gromoll, W. Höppner, E. Nieschlag

      Pages 89-97

   2. Fetal and Perinatal Influence of Xenoestrogens on Testis Gene Expression

      • P. T. K. Saunders, G. Majdic, P. Parte, M. R. Millar, J. S. Fisher, K. J. Turner et al.

      Pages 99-110

THE FASCINATION The male germ cell is the only cell of the human organism that leaves the body when it has achieved its final, highly sophisticated structure and properties. The male germ cell is designed for one purpose only: to reach the female gametes and to fertilize them. The various stages in the development of the male germ cell are characterized by proliferative phases, by the recombination of the maternal and paternal chromosomes, and by the differentiation and development of a specialized transport vehicle, the spermato­ zoon. Furthermore, the establishment of a special pool of stem cells, the spermatogonia, guarantees the continuity of the sperm-generation process from puberty to old age. THE FATE OF THE MALE GERM CELL The destiny of any individual germ cell is determined by a program that we know only in fragments. On the one hand every human male is able to produce many billions of germ cells in his lifetime, yet the chance of any single sperm reaching and fertilizing the female germ cell is exceedingly rare. A fertility disturbance means that somewhere during the complicated playing out of the germ cell program mistakes are made, and the program fails. It is still a fact that more than 50% of men presenting with male factor infertility have to be diagnosed as idiopathic, largely because of our lack of knowledge and conse­ quent lack of appropriate diagnostic tools.

• Chromosom
• Tumor
• biology
• chromosome
• development
• diagnosis
• physiology
• recombination

• Institute for Hormone and Fertility Research, University of Hamburg, Hamburg, Germany

  Richard Ivell

• Anatomical Institute, University of Hamburg, Hamburg, Germany

  Adolf-Friedrich Holstein

Policies and ethics