Man’s sperm also called “semen “or seminal fluid or spermatozoon. Fluid that is emitted from the male reproductive tract and that contains sperm cells, which are capable of fertilizing the female’s eggs. Semen also contains liquids that combine to form seminal plasma, which helps keep the sperm cells viable.
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In the sexually mature human man’s sperm cells are produced by the testes (singular, testis); they constitute only about 2 to 5 percent of the total semen volume. As sperm travel through the male reproductive tract, they are bathed in fluids produced and secreted by the various tubules and glands of the reproductive system. After emerging from the testes, sperm are stored in the epididymis, in which secretions of potassium, sodium, and glyceryl phosphorylcholine (an energy source for man’s sperm) are contributed to the sperm cells. Sperm mature in the epididymis. They then pass through a long tube, called the ductus deferens, or vas deferens, to another storage area, the ampulla. The ampulla secretes a yellowish fluid, ergothioneine, a substance that reduces (removes oxygen from) chemical compounds, and the ampulla also secretes fructose, a sugar that nourishes the sperm.
During the process of ejaculation, liquids from the prostate gland and seminal vesicles are added, which help dilute the concentration of sperm and provide a suitable environment for them. Fluids contributed by the seminal vesicles are approximately 60 percent of the total semen volume; these fluids contain fructose, amino acids, citric acid, phosphorus, potassium, and hormones known as prostaglandins. The prostate gland contributes about 30 percent of the seminal fluid; the constituents of its secretions are mainly citric acid, acid phosphatase, calcium, sodium, zinc, potassium, protein-splitting enzymes, and fibro lysin (an enzyme that reduces blood and tissue fibers). A small amount of fluid is secreted by the bulbourethral and urethral glands; this is a thick, clear, lubricating protein commonly known as mucus.
Essential to man’s sperm motility (self-movement) are small quantities of potassium and magnesium, the presence of adequate amounts of oxygen in the plasma, proper temperature, and a slightly alkaline pH of 7 to 7.5. Sulfate chemicals in semen help prevent the sperm cells from swelling, and fructose is the main nutrient to sperm cells.
The total volume of semen or man’s sperm for each ejaculation of a human male averages between 2 and 5 ml (0.12 to 0.31 cubic inch); in stallions the average ejaculate is about 125 ml (7.63 cubic inches). In human beings each ejaculation contains normally 200 to 300 million sperm. Semen frequently contains degenerated cells sloughed off from the network of tubules and ducts through which the semen has passed.
The man’s sperm unites with (fertilizes) an ovum (egg) of the female to produce a new offspring. Mature sperm have two distinguishable parts, a head and a tail.
The head of the sperm varies in shape for each animal species. In humans it is flattened and almond-shaped, four to five micrometers long and two to three micrometers wide (there are about 25,000 micrometers in an inch). The head portion is mainly a cell nucleus; it consists of genetic substances, called chromosomes, which are responsible for transmitting specific characteristics of an individual, such as the color of eyes, hair, and skin. In each body cell of healthy humans, there are 46 chromosomes, which are responsible for the individual’s general physical makeup. The sperm cells have only 23 chromosomes, or half of the usual number. When a sperm cell unites with the ovum, which also has 23 chromosomes, the resulting 46 chromosomes determine the offspring’s characteristics. The sperm cells also carry the X or Y chromosome that determines the sex of the future child.Covering the head of the sperm is a cap known as the acrosome, which contains enzymes that help sperm to enter an egg. Only one sperm fertilizes each egg, even though 300,000,000 to 400,000,000 sperm are contained in an average ejaculation. Each egg and sperm produced has slightly different genetic information carried in the chromosomes; this accounts for the differences and similarities between children of the same parents.
A small middle portion of the man’s sperm contains the mitochondria. The tail of the sperm, sometimes called the flagellum, is a slender, hairlike bundle of filaments that connects to the head and middle portion. The tail is about 50 micrometers long; its thickness of one micrometer near the mitochondria gradually diminishes to less than one-half micrometer at the end of the tail. The tail gives the sperm cell movement. It whips and undulates so that the cell can travel to the egg. Following sperm deposition in the female reproductive tract, activation of tail movement is suppressed until the sperm is carried to within a relatively short distance of the egg. This gives the sperm an increased chance of reaching the egg before exhausting its energy supplies.
The activation of tail movements is part of the process of capacitation, in which the sperm undergoes a series of cellular changes that enables its participation in fertilization. A fundamental change that occurs during capacitation is alkalinization of sperm cytoplasm, in which the intracellular pH levels increase, particularly in the flagellum. This process, which is driven by the rapid movement of protons out of the cell through ion channels on the flagellum, underlies tail activation. Proton channels on sperm flagella are primed for opening by the presence in the female reproductive tract of a substance known as anandamide, which is thought to occur in high concentrations near the egg. Upon reaching an egg, enzymes contained within the sperm acrosome are activated, enabling the sperm to traverse the thick coat surrounding the egg (the zona pellucida); this process is known as the acrosome reaction. The membrane of the sperm cell then fuses with that of the egg, and the man’s sperm nucleus is conveyed into the egg.
Man’s Sperm deposited in the reproductive tract of the female that do not reach the egg die. Sperm cells may live in the human body for two or three days after mating. Sperm may also be stored in a frozen state for months or years and still retain their capacity to fertilize eggs when thawed.
The widespread nature of sexual reproduction in animals has raised intriguing questions concerning the evolutionary origins of sperm. Almost all living animals, from worms to insects to humans, possess a gene known as Boule (BOULE), which functions solely in sperm production. The presence of this gene in sea anemones—very primitive life-forms—suggests that the ability to produce sperm evolved only once, roughly 600 million years ago. Although the gene’s function is highly conserved among animals, it has diverged to give rise to a distinct form for each species.
According to studies performed in mice, the final stages of sperm maturation appear to be regulated by a gene known as Katnal1, which is expressed by the Sertoli cells that support and nourish immature sperm within the walls of the seminiferous tubules (the site of spermatogenesis). Dysfunction of Katnal1 is suspected to underlie some instances of male infertility, and thus, the gene represents a potential target for the development of male infertility drugs as well as new forms of male contraception.
semen analysis, laboratory examination of a sample of seminal fluid, usually consisting of the determination of semen volume, alkalinity or acidity (pH), sperm number (or sperm count), and the motility, shape, and viability of sperm. An examination of seminal fluid is usually undertaken to check for possible male infertility. In addition to obtaining a complete history, performing a physical examination of both partners, and verifying that ovulation does occur in the woman, the physician will perform a semen analysis. Normal semen contains more than 60 million sperm per milliliter. More than 60 percent of the sperm are motile two hours after ejaculation, and 80–90 percent will have normal form and structure. Possible causes of infertility are a low sperm count, low motility, or a low percentage of normal forms. Rarely, a sperm analysis may be required in a case of suspected rape.
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