Quantification of Human Seminiferous Epithelium

Summary. In order to provide a reference for evaluation of spermatogenesis in patients suspected of having quantitative abnormalities, eighteen bilateral and three unilateral biopsies from twenty-one fertile men with normal chromosome complements were investigated. A quantitative analysis was performed, employing the Sertoli cell number as a basis for reference. The inter-individual variation in the so-called `Sertoli cell ratio' (germ cell/Sertoli cell) between individuals was relatively low and no significant difference between the right and left side was found. It is concluded that the method has several advantages in studies using group controls.