This valuable reference work provides a synthesis of the latest knowledge about the acrosomatic reaction of human sperm. The acrosomatic reaction, which is a fundamental step in the process of fertilisation, is examined on both the fundamental and clinical levels. Three very recent aspects are also dealt with: what happens to the acrosome during intracytoplasmic microinjections, the usefulness of screening spermatozoa that have completed their acrosomatic reaction, and the development of contraception by a vaccine that targets one of the proteins of the acrosome. International Symposium, Collioure, France, September 1995.