viii The Biochemistry of Semen 



CHAP. PAGE 



IV INTRACELLULAR ENZYMES, METALLOPROTEINS, NUCLEO- 

 PROTEINS, AND OTHER PROTEIN CONSTITUENTS OF 

 SPERMATOZOA 83 



Mechanical separation of sperm from seminal plasma; 

 release of intracellular proteins from damaged spermatozoa. 

 Removal of the sperm nucleus from the cytoplasm. Protein- 

 bound iron, zinc, and copper. Cytochrome. Catalase. Hyal- 

 uronidase and other 'lytic' agents. Sperm nucleoproteins. 

 Deoxyribonucleic acid. The basic nuclear proteins; protamines 

 and histones. The non-basic nuclear proteins; karyogen and 

 chromosomin. Keratin-like protein of the sperm membrane. 



V PROTEIN CONSTITUENTS AND ENZYMES OF THE SEMINAL 



PLASMA 1 1 1 



Proteoses and free amino acids. Fibrinolysin and fibrino- 

 genase. Pepsinogen. Ammonia formation. Amino acid oxidase. 

 Seminal phosphatases; 'acid' and 'alkaline' phosphatase; 

 5-nucleotidase; pyrophosphatase. Enzymic hydrolysis of 

 adenosine triphosphate. 



VI LIPIDS AND THEIR ROLE IN THE METABOLISM OF SEMEN 124 



Lipids in spermatozoa. The lipid capsule. Acetal phospho- 

 lipids or plasmalogens. Role of lipids in sperm metabolism. 

 Lipids in the seminal plasma and male accessory gland 

 secretions. 'Lipid bodies' and prostatic calculi. 



VII FRUCTOSE AND FRUCTOLYSIS 134 



Fructose as a normal constituent of semen. Species differ- 

 ences. Site of formation. Seminal fructose as an indicator of 

 male sex hormone activity; the 'fructose test' and its applica- 

 tion to certain problems of sex endocrinology. Role of hypo- 

 physis. The relationship between blood glucose and seminal 

 fructose. Effect of malnutrition. The enzymic mechanism of 

 fructose formation. Anaerobic and aerobic utilization of 

 carbohydrate by spermatozoa. Pasteur effect and the 'meta- 

 bolic regulator'. Intermediary reactions in sperm fructolysis 

 and the role of phosphorus-containing coenzymes. 



VIII SPERMINE, CHOLINE, ERGOTHIONEINE, AND CERTAIN 



OTHER BASES IN SEMEN 160 



Spermine. Occurrence of crystalline spermine in human 

 semen; its chemical nature and properties. Derivatives of 

 spermine and their use in forensic medicine. Synthesis of 



