Wet Mount Evaluation of Sperm

The use of phase contrast and differential interference contrast (DIC) microscopy enhances the observation of structural detail within a cell. Wet mount preparation, as used in phase-contrast and DIC microscopy, causes less physical damage to spermatozoa. Phase-contrast and DIC techniques make use of phase and amplitude modulations or differential modulation of the light, respectively, to obtain contrast. Phase contrast produces a flatter image with darker cellular features ranging from black to white, whereas DIC produces an image with more uniform grays. This chapter illustrates a procedure for preparation of a wet mount, and outlines some necessary condition for evaluation of stallion spermatozoa.