Authors
Kristian Leisegang, Ralf Henkel
Publication date
2019
Book
Male Infertility in Reproductive Medicine: Diagnosis and Management
Pages
119-128
Publisher
CRC Press
Description
Life evolved in a low-oxygen environment in which carbon dioxide and nitrogen dominated, resulting in mild reducing conditions that provided the energy source for early unicellular organisms. Oxygen was a toxic by-product of this aerobic respiration, leading to the oxygenation of the biosphere. This led to a transformation of the environment and a switch to more oxidizing conditions, which arguably necessitated the evolution of aerobic respiration. Within appropriate physiological concentrations, reactive oxygen species are critical mediators of male reproductive function. This includes chromatin condensation in spermatogenesis, epididymal maturation, postejaculation phenomenon such as hyperactivation, capacitation, and acrosome activation, as well as oocyte fusion through spermatozoal zonal binding. Common causes of male infertility include varicocele (unilateral or bilateral), genital tract infections …
Total citations
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Scholar articles
K Leisegang, R Henkel - Male Infertility in Reproductive Medicine: Diagnosis …, 2019