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Sperm midpiece mitochondria within the ooplasm

Very high power TEM of a stage 1a embryo in vitro showing the sperm midpiece mitochondria within the ooplasm, 3 hours post-insemination (original magnification x35,700). The sperm mitochondria have abundant inner membranes or cristae with a lucent matrix that are still associated with the axoneme.

N = sperm nuclear envelope
S = smooth endoplasmic reticulum

From: Sathananthan and Trounson, 2000. Reproduced with permission of the publisher, Oxford University Press.


Keywords: axoneme, cristae, mitochondria, ooplasm, smooth endoplasmic reticulum, sperm midpiece, sperm mitochondria, sperm nuclear envelope, stage 1a embryo


Source: The Virtual Human Embryo.