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Cryopreservation of Human Semen

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Male Infertility

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Abstract

Ever since Spallanzani, the famous Italian biologist in 1776, reported the maintenance of motility of human spermatozoa after exposure to low temperatures. Researchers and embryologists were keen to observe the effect of freezing on sperm viability. Later, Mantegazza (1866) proposed sperm banks for frozen human sperm. But it was Polge’s accidental discovery of glycerol (1949) as a cryoprotectant that laid the foundation for modern sperm cryobiology which accelerated the application of cryopreservation techniques. This was shortly followed by the work of Sherman and Bunge (1953) who observed that human spermatozoa after freeze-drying were able to support normal embryonic development. The first live birth using frozen ejaculated sperm was reported in the year 1953 by Sherman who is also known to have first described liquid nitrogen vapor freezing in the early 1960s (Sherman 1973).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. American College of Embryologists Certified Lab, Crea Conceptions (ACE Certified) (P) Limited, Chennai, India

    Sasikala Natarajamani MBBS, MMEDSCI (ART), EMB (ACE)

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  1. Sasikala Natarajamani MBBS, MMEDSCI (ART), EMB (ACE)
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Correspondence to Sasikala Natarajamani MBBS, MMEDSCI (ART), EMB (ACE) .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Metro Male Clinic, Gunasekaran Hospital Pvt Ltd, Chennai, India

    Karthik Gunasekaran

  2. Department of Andrology and Reproductive, Chettinad Hospital and Research Institut, Chennai, India

    N Pandiyan

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Natarajamani, S. (2017). Cryopreservation of Human Semen. In: Gunasekaran, K., Pandiyan, N. (eds) Male Infertility. Springer, New Delhi. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-81-322-3604-7_14

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-81-322-3604-7_14

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  • Publisher Name: Springer, New Delhi

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