Non-motile Information and Courses from MediaLab, Inc.

Listeria monocytogenes is optimally motile at 25C; and is non-motile at 35-37C.Motility may be directly assessed by observing bacterial cells with a tumbling motion in a direct mount preparation.In soft motility agar, the identification can be made by observing for a thin, umbrella-like lateral extension of growth from the stab line (see photograph).

Antibody - A modified type of serum globulin synthesized by lymphoid tissue in response to antigenic stimulus. By virtue of specific combining sites each antibody reacts with only one antigen. Anucleate - Having no nucleus. Azurophilic granules - The well-defined large reddish granules (lysosomes) which may be present in large lymphocytes. They are called "azurophilic granules" because they stain blue with the azure stains which were originally used. Basophilic granules - Specific granules present in the cytoplasm of basophils. These granules are large and stain purple-black due to their strong affinity for basic stain. B-cell - Bone marrow derived lymphocytes which produce humoral antibodies. Biconcave - Having two concave surfaces. Cellular Immunity - The capacity of a small proportion of lymphoid population to exhibit response to a specific antigen. Chromomere - The centrally located granular portion of the platelet. Clone - A population of cells descended from a single cell. Delayed Hypersensitivity - (part of cellular immunity) that develops slowly over a period of 24-72 hours after an antigenic stimulus. It consists of an accumulation of cells around small vessels and/or nerves. Example: Tuberculin skin test reaction. Digestive Enzyme - A substance that catalyzes or accelerates the process of digestion. Eosinophilic Granules - Specific granules present in the cytoplasm of eosinophils. These granules are large, refractile spheres which stain reddish-orange due to their strong affinity for acid stain. Erythrocyte (red blood cell, RBC) - One of the elements found in peripheral blood. Normally the mature form is a non-nucleated, circular, biconcave disk adapted to transport respiratory gases. Fixed Macrophage - A phagocyte that is non-motile. Free Macrophage - An ameboid phagocyte present at the site of inflammation. Graft Rejection - A transplanted tissue that is rejected by the body's antibodies. Graft vs. Host Reaction - A complication that occurs when an implanted piece of tissue, which contains antibodies, rejects the host's tissue. Granulocyte - A leukocyte which contains granules in its cytoplasm, i.e., neutrophilic, eosinophilic, or basophilic granules. Half-life - is the length of time it takes for half of the cells circulating at a given time to leave the blood for the tissues. Hemocyte - Any blood cell or formed element of the blood. Hemostasis - A mechanism of the vascular system to arrest an escape of blood. It involves an interaction between blood vessels, platelets, and coagulation. Heparin - A mucopolysaccharide acid which, when present in sufficient amounts, functions as an anticoagulant by inhibiting thrombin. Histamine - A powerful dilator of capillaries and a stimulator of gastric secretions. Humoral Immunity - Acquired immunity produced after response to an antigenic stimulus in which B cells produce circulating antibodies. Hyalomere - the clear, blue non-granular zone surrounding the chromomere of a platelet. Immune Response - The interaction of a cell and an antigen that results in a proliferation of the cell and a capacity to produce antibodies. Isotonic Fluid - A fluid whose elements have an equal osmotic pressure. Leukocyte (white blood cell, WBC) - One of the formed elements of the blood; involved primarily with the body's defense. Lysosome - A microscopic body within cell cytoplasm; contains various enzymes, mainly hydrolytic, which are released upon injury to the cell. Megakaryocyte - A giant cell of the bone marrow from which platelets are derived. Mononuclear - A cell having a single nucleus.

Viability is a measure of the percentage of cells that are alive. Since motile cells are inherently viable a viability assessment may not be necessary when motility is high. Most laboratories set a minimum motility after which a viability will also be performed. To assess viability, place a drop of semen on a slide. Add an equal volume of a vital stain such as trypan blue. Cover with a coverslip. Allow color to develop for several minutes, but not more than 5 minutes. Count 100 cells (both motile and non-motile cells) on each of 2 slides. During the count differentiate between the white cells (living) and blue cells (non-living).

Some professionals believe that sperm counts done by hemacytometer are not accurate because of the need to dilute the viscous semen prior to counting. There are several other counting methods available to assess sperm concentration.The advantages of the following methods are: the specimen does not have to be diluted motile and non-motile sperm can both be counted avoiding the need for wet mount evaluation of motile cells. Note that counting moving sperm can be difficult and takes significant practice to avoid error. For each of these methods accurate counts are best obtained when at least 100 sperm per replicate are counted. Makler (Zygotek Systems, Inc.). An undiluted sample is placed on the chamber and covered with the coverglass. Ten squares on the grid contain 0.000001ml. CellVu (Millennium Sciences, Inc). Two sides of a special slide are loaded with a drop of undiluted semen. Coverslips with special grids are placed on top of the sperm according to manufacturer's directions. Sperm on both sides are counted. MicroCell (Conception Technologies) has two chambers on a single, disposable slide. A special eyepiece with a grid is needed for counting.