DISTRIBUTION OF SUBSTANCES IN SPERMATOZOON. 255 



the cytoplasmic component of the spermatozoon loaded with 

 lipoids and lipoproteids. 



The cell is surrounded by a very thin membrane, the presence 

 of which is obvious when the heads swell and explode in hypotonic 

 solutions. The membrane must be very elastic and permeable 

 to water. The whole complex is protected externally by a thick 

 layer of fatty substance, darkened by osmic acid and detected 

 also by Sudan III. and by macrochemical analysis with Victoria 

 blue. 1 Its chemical composition is still not clearly demonstrated. 



Mixing dry sperm with sea-water one can clearly see this 

 substance spreading out on the surface film like oil. In the dry 

 sperm under the microscope, one can see how abundant this 

 intercellular substance is. In this medium the spermatozoa live 

 longer than without it. Presumably the contact of the sperma- 

 tozoa with the water is very much mitigated by the surrounding 

 fatty medium, so that changes of osmotic pressure influence the 

 spermatozoa gradually, and the modifications of form occur 

 very slowly. This layer of fatty substance may be considered 

 on the whole as a buffer between a very sensitive structure 

 (spermatozoon) and a salt solution at a very high concentration 

 (sea-water). Certainly the fatty substance may have some other 

 important significance, too, not yet taken into consideration. 



As soon as the concentration of the medium is changed and the 

 fatty medium is modified, the spermatozoa react first by motility, 

 and secondly the mutual relations of the two substances (hy- 

 drophilic substance > lipochromatic substance) undergo changes. 

 As a result we have the various pictures of the spermatozoon 

 already demonstrated. 



For completion of the general sketch of the speimatozoon 

 there is to be remarked the presence at the distal end (that is 



1 This layer outside the spermatozoon has been frequently noticed recently by 

 various authors: Redenz, E., " Versuch einer biologischen Morphologic des Neben- 

 hodens," Arch. f. Mikr. Anat. u. Entw. Mech., 1924, 103 Bd., S. 391. Gellhorn, 

 E., " Physiologische Untersuchungen an Spermatozoen und Eiern. Ein Beitrag 

 zum Befruchtungsproblem. Sammelreferat," Arch. f. Mikr. Anat. u. Entw. Mech., 

 1924, 101 Bd., S. 437. Redenz, E., "Versuch einer biologischen Morphologic des 

 Nebenhodes. II. Die Bedeuting elektrolytarmer Losungen fur die Bewegung der 

 Spermien," Wilh. Roux' Arch. f. Entw. mech. d. Org., 106 Bd., 1925, S. 290. T. 

 von Lanz, "tiber Bau und Funktion des Nebenhodens und seine Abhangigkeit von 

 der Keimdruse," Zeitschr. /. die ges. Anat. Z. f. Anat. u. Entw. g., 80 Bd., Festschr. 

 f. S. Mollier, 1926, S. 177. 

 17 



