Sperm at a Slant
Computer simulations show how sperm travel around corners and edges
Jülich, 27 February 2019 – Scientists from Forschungszentrum Jülich have used a supercomputer to simulate how sperm swim through tiny channels. Their model explains why most sperm cells move along walls at a tilted angle, head first. This movement enables the sperm to travel past slight bends. The researchers’ calculations have now shown that the precise point at which the sperm break contact with the wall is determined by their flagellar beat.
Sperm animation (length: 00:39 min) Copyright: Sebastian Rode et al, New J. Phys. (2019), DOI: 10.1088/1367-2630/aaf544 (CC BY 3.0) |
Original publication:
Sperm motility in modulated microchannels
Sebastian Rode, Jens Elgeti and Gerhard Gompper
New J. Phys.21(2019)013016, DOI: 10.1088/1367-2630/aaf544