Q3. Sterility in human males with Kartegener’s triad is due to nonmotile sperm.
ID: 63771 • Letter: Q
Question
Q3. Sterility in human males with Kartegener’s triad is due to nonmotile sperm. The sperm of such individuals are found to have tails (flagella) that lack one or more of the normal structural components. These individuals also likely to have a history of respiratory tract disease such as bronchitis and sinusitis, caused by an inability to clear mucus from lungs and sinuses.
a) What is a likely mechanistic explanation for nonmotility of sperm in such individuals?
b) Why is respiratory tract diseases linked with sterility in such individuals?
Explanation / Answer
3. Kartegener’s syndrome is a genetic disease inherited by an autosomal recessive fasion. These patients have non-functional cilia (cilia are lack of dynein segment), so they cannot clear the mucus in the respiratory tract. The same dynein arm is required for sperm motility. So, men affected with Kartegener’s syndrome suffer from respiratory diseases and also sterility due to immobile sperm.
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