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Home › Articles › Considering Pregnancy › All About Sperm

All About Sperm

What You Need to Know to Conceive

By Teri Brown

Pages:  1  2  3  4  

So exactly what are sperm and how do these complex and minute combinations of cells know how to get where they are supposed to go? According to Dr. Larry Lipshultz, chief of Male Reproductive Medicine and Surgery at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, sperm is made up of the same things as other cells are made of. "Sperm, like all other cells in the body, are made of protein, carbohydrates, lipids and contain genetic information in the form of DNA," he says. "What makes sperm unique is the fact that they are made up of only half of the genetic material (DNA) that all other cells are composed of. This half DNA combines with the maternal half of DNA when the sperm fertilizes the egg, re-creating a complete set of DNA. This is what makes the child a 'mix' of both parents."

Basically, sperm are just waiting for their other half. The normal cycle of sperm formation and maturation takes approximately three and a half months. "Sperm are then housed in the distal duct system, where they die after several days if not ejaculated," says Dr. Lipschultz. "Optimal sperm quality is seen in ejaculates with abstinence periods between two and five days."

Each ejaculate carries with it a varying number of sperm. According to Dr. Lipschultz, the average sperm concentration in the ejaculate of fertility proven men is 60 to 120 million sperm per ml. However, it has been established that problems with fertility begin to arise at counts under 20 million sperm per ml.

The Journey

The way that the sperm finds its way to the fallopian tubes is a miracle by itself. This is when sperm motility comes into play. A good healthy sperm has what is called progressive motility. This is to say it swims in a fairly straight line and has the ability to get where it is supposed to go. Sperm with non-progressive motility tend to swim in circles, getting nowhere.

"Sperm have been shown to appear in the fallopian tubes as early as 10 minutes after deposition into the vagina," says Dr. Lipshultz. "A steady state of sperm is seen in the fallopian tubes after 45 minutes."


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