Researchers at Stanford University have sequenced the entire genomes of 91 human sperm from a single man - providing insight into the genetic variation that naturally occurs in a single individual.

The project marks the first time the whole-genome of a human gamete has been sequenced.

Published in the journal Cell, the study offers more detailed knowledge about the process of genetic recombination - the method in which DNA from both a mother and a father blend together in the children they produce.  Recombination facilitates both the breaking apart and rejoining of chromosomes during reproduction.

"We learned some really interesting details about how the body mixes together the genomes from parents to create new genomes for their potential children," said Steve Quake, professor of bioengineering and applied physics at Stanford University as well as the study's lead author. "That's why every sperm cell has a different genome.  Your body mixes to create unique genomes so your offspring have different genetic diversity."