GERMINAL CELL LOSS DURING HUMAN SPERMATOGENESIS

Abstract

Summary. Testicular biopsy specimens from fifteen normal adult men were analysed histologically, using Clermont's classification for the germ cell types. After corrections were made for differences in nuclear size and life-span, spermatid/primary spermatocyte ratios ranging from 0·87 to 3·82 (average 2·58) were found. This represents a marked reduction from the theoretical ratio of 4·0 which would be expected. The significance of this attrition rate, or the point at which loss occurs, is not known.