Sexual reproduction is an important process that occurs between animals and plants for creating offspring. When it comes to humans, male gametes - sperms are produced by the testicles which are then deposited into the vagina during intercourse. However, these sperms do not survive longer than 24 hours in the female body as they get destroyed by enzymes. But what if I told you that human sperms can live for up to five days? Sounds interesting right! So let's dive deep into this fascinating discovery and know how it happens.
The life cycle of a sperm begins when it gets released from the penis and swims towards the egg through the cervix and uterus. It takes about four hours to reach the fallopian tubes where fertilization takes place. The uterine environment provides perfect conditions for sperms to thrive and they stay alive for up to five days. This phenomenon was discovered by scientists who observed various studies on the subject. The research showed that sperms survived up to seven days in the reproductive tract of rabbits, but not more than two days in mice or rats.
What makes this study so important? Well, there are several benefits associated with it such as improving fertility treatments. With the knowledge of this information, doctors can now plan better fertility treatment procedures as the life span of sperms has been extended. They can store them for five days instead of one and give couples time to plan their schedule accordingly. Moreover, understanding the behavior of sperms in the female body will help us develop new methods of contraception like pills or patches that kill sperms before they reach the egg.
However, there are some concerns too as the long-living sperms may increase the chances of aneuploidy - abnormalities caused due to extra or missing chromosomes which can lead to birth defects. But experts believe that these risks can be minimized if the sperms are washed properly. Washing involves separating active motile sperms from dead ones. So, there is a possibility that the risk associated with aneuploidy can be reduced further by selecting only healthy swimmers that have survived for five days.
To sum up, this discovery has opened new doors for the medical field and will enable doctors to improve the success rates of IVF treatments. It also provides opportunities for scientists to explore the underlying mechanisms behind sperm survival and find ways to prevent aneuploidy. And for you, readers, I hope you enjoyed reading about human sperms living longer than expected!