Effect of Osmotic Pressure of Semen Extenders on the Fertility and Hatchability of Turkey Eggs

A VERY interesting development in the theory of semen diluent formulation was suggested by Wales and White (1961) who observed that hypertonicity of the medium reduced the detrimental effects of high dilution. Yamane et al. (1962) claimed that seminal plasma is not isotonic with the spermatozoan midpiece. Although the osmotic pressure of the seminal plasma approximates 323 m Osm, he claims the midpiece suffers damage from plasmolysis when the osmotic pressure is less than about 500 m Osm. This damage results in a significant increase in bent midpieces (with sperm head lying back along the tail). Yamane et al. (1962) states that this abnormality is the result of hypotonicity of seminal plasma, and, since the tonicity of diluents has been adjusted to that of seminal plasma, this means the diluents are also hypotonic to the midpiece. He stored cock semen in a yolk-citrate glucose solution with an O.P. of 550…