Papers from a December 1996 symposium present the latest research on fundamental aspects of sperm production and maturation and the destiny of spermatozoa within the female reproductive tract. Contains sections on genes, chromosomes, and fertility; germ cell differentiation and tumorigenesis; the ro

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...