Measurement of Sperm Activity before Artificial Insemination

Abstract

THE successful application of artificial insemination largely depends on the possibility of making a quick assessment of sperm activity in the sample of semen to be employed. The existing methods of assessing sperm activity suffer from certain disadvantages. They are either subjective, depending on the judgment of an individual who has often examined semen under the microscope, or they involve chemical treatment which may take some time to complete. The most satisfactory is the fructolytic test, which not only gives a combined measure of sperm motility and density¹, but also provides an indication of the hormonal (testosterone) activity of the bull². On the other hand, samples have to be taken from the ejaculate and incubated at 37^° C. for one to three hours.