How Sperm Is Created

Summary

This educational video delves into the fascinating process of sperm production in the male body. It explains that sperm cells are generated in the seminiferous tubules of the testes, with up to 300 million produced daily. The script details the journey of sperm from creation to maturity, taking approximately 65-75 days, and their storage in the epididymis where they become motile. It also touches on the vast number of sperm cells in a typical ejaculation and the odds they face in fertilizing an egg, concluding with a motivational note on the significance of each sperm cell's existence.

Takeaways

• 😲 Sperm cells are produced in the testes, specifically in structures called seminiferous tubules, with up to 900 in each testis.
• 🌟 The process of sperm cell production is called spermatogenesis and occurs within the walls of the seminiferous tubules.
• 🔍 Stem cells known as spermatogonia are responsible for the production of sperm cells.
• 🏭 Sperm cells are produced at a high rate, with up to 300 million per day, averaging to approximately 12.5 million per hour.
• 🚫 Newly produced sperm cells are not immediately motile and require time to develop and mature.
• 🕒 The development of sperm cells takes 65 to 75 days within the seminiferous tubules before they move to the next structure.
• 🔄 After spermatogenesis, sperm cells move to the epididymis, a structure likened to a 'swim academy' where they mature and gain motility.
• 🌀 The epididymis contains a long tube that can stretch over 20 feet, facilitating the maturation of sperm cells.
• 💧 The average male ejaculate contains 2.5 to 5 milliliters of seminal fluid, with each milliliter potentially containing 50 to 150 million sperm cells.
• 🏁 Sperm cells are stored in the epididymis until they are needed and then propelled into the vas deferens for release.
• 🥇 Despite the vast number of sperm cells released, typically only one succeeds in fertilizing the egg, highlighting the competitive journey to conception.

Q & A

Where are sperm cells produced in the male reproductive system?

Sperm cells are produced in the testes, specifically within the seminiferous tubules found inside each testis.

How many seminiferous tubules are there in each testis?

There are up to 900 seminiferous tubules in each testis.

What is the process of sperm cell production called?

The process of sperm cell production is called spermatogenesis.

At what rate can the spermatogonia produce sperm cells?

The spermatogonia can produce up to 300 million sperm cells in one day, which averages to approximately 12.5 million per hour, 208,000 per minute, and about 3,500 per second.

How long does it take for sperm cells to develop from the start of spermatogenesis to being ready to swim?

It takes up to 65 to 75 days for sperm cells to develop within the seminiferous tubules before they move into the lumen of the tube and become non-motile.

What is the structure that sperm cells move into after the seminiferous tubules?

After the seminiferous tubules, sperm cells move into the epididymis, where they mature and become motile.

How long is the tube inside the epididymis if stretched out?

The tube inside the epididymis, if stretched out, would be over 20 feet long.

What is the average time it takes for sperm cells to be fully mature and ready for release?

The total timeline for sperm cells to be fully mature and ready for release can take over 80 days, including the time spent in the seminiferous tubules, moving into the epididymis, and maturing within it.

How much seminal fluid does an average male release during ejaculation, and how many sperm cells can it contain?

An average male can release anywhere from 2.5 to 5 milliliters of seminal fluid, and one milliliter can contain anywhere from 50 to 150 million sperm cells.

What is the purpose of the vas deferens in the male reproductive system?

The vas deferens, or ductus deferens, is a tube that transports mature sperm cells from the epididymis up the spermatic cord and eventually outside the body during ejaculation.

Why is it significant that sperm cells are not born ready to swim?

It is significant because it indicates that sperm cells undergo a maturation process within the male reproductive system, becoming motile only after spending time in the epididymis, which is crucial for their ability to fertilize an egg.

Outlines

00:00

😲 Daily Sperm Production and Anatomy of the Testes

This paragraph delves into the fascinating process of sperm production in the human body. It begins by emphasizing the importance of understanding sperm cell production, even for those without testes, due to the biological connection between sperm and ovum. The script then introduces a male cadaver dissection to visually explain the internal structures involved in sperm production, focusing on the testes and the seminiferous tubules where spermatogenesis occurs. The paragraph provides staggering numbers, stating that up to 300 million sperm cells can be produced daily, with an average rate of 12.5 million per hour. It also touches on the fact that sperm cells are not fully developed at birth but mature over a 65 to 75-day period within the seminiferous tubules before they are ready to move to the next stage of development.

05:02

🏫 The Journey of Sperm Cells from Production to Maturity

The second paragraph continues the exploration of sperm cell development, detailing the journey from the seminiferous tubules to the epididymis, which is humorously referred to as 'swim academy' where sperm cells gain motility. It explains the pathway that sperm cells take after leaving the tubules, moving through various structures before reaching the epididymis. The paragraph outlines the timeline of sperm maturation, which can span over 80 days from the start of production to the point where sperm cells are ready for release. It also discusses the storage of sperm cells in the epididymis and their eventual release through the vas deferens. The script concludes with a comparison of the sperm cell's journey to the challenges of 2020, reminding viewers that they are the result of a victorious race from millions of sperm cells, encouraging a positive self-perception.

Keywords

💡Sperm Cells

Sperm cells are male reproductive cells that are essential for fertilizing an egg in the process of reproduction. In the video's theme, sperm cells are the central focus, as the script discusses their production, maturation, and the journey they undertake to reach the egg. The script mentions that sperm cells are produced in the testes and that they are not born ready to swim, indicating they undergo a maturation process.

💡Testes

The testes are the male reproductive organs responsible for producing sperm and hormones. The script provides a detailed dissection of a male cadaver's testes, revealing the internal structures that are crucial for sperm production. It is within the testes that the process of spermatogenesis occurs, as highlighted in the script.

💡Spermatogenesis

Spermatogenesis is the process by which sperm cells develop and mature. The script explains that this process takes place within the seminiferous tubules of the testes and takes approximately 65 to 75 days for the sperm cells to develop before they move into the lumen of the tubules.

💡Seminiferous Tubules

Seminiferous tubules are the coiled tubes within the testes where spermatogenesis occurs. The script describes them as 'little stringy tubes' and mentions that there can be up to 900 of these tubules in each testis, emphasizing their importance in sperm production.

💡Spermatogonia

Spermatogonia are the stem cells within the seminiferous tubules that produce sperm cells. The script humorously refers to them as inhabitants of 'the land of matagonia,' highlighting their role in the production of sperm cells at a high rate.

💡Epididymis

The epididymis is a part of the male reproductive system where sperm cells mature and gain motility. The script refers to it as 'swim academy,' indicating that it is the place where sperm cells become capable of swimming towards the egg.

💡Vas Deferens

The vas deferens, also known as the ductus deferens, is the tube that transports mature sperm cells from the epididymis to the urethra for ejaculation. The script explains that the vas deferens is connected to the epididymis and plays a crucial role in the release of sperm cells during ejaculation.

💡Motility

Motility in the context of sperm cells refers to their ability to move independently, which is essential for reaching and fertilizing an egg. The script mentions that sperm cells are not born ready to swim and gain motility as they mature in the epididymis.

💡Seminal Fluid

Seminal fluid is the fluid released during ejaculation, which contains sperm cells along with other components. The script provides statistics on the volume of seminal fluid and the number of sperm cells it can contain, illustrating the sheer number of sperm cells involved in the reproductive process.

💡Fertilization

Fertilization is the process where a sperm cell unites with an egg to form a zygote, leading to the development of a new individual. The script concludes by emphasizing the purpose of the sperm cells' journey and the odds they face in successfully fertilizing an egg.

Highlights

Sperm cells are produced in the testes, with the exact location being the seminiferous tubules.

The spermatic cord contains structures vital for blood and nerve supply to the testes, including the vas deferens for sperm transport.

Spermatogenesis, the process of sperm production, occurs in the seminiferous tubules with up to 900 present in each testis.

Sperm cells are produced at a high rate, with up to 300 million per day, averaging to 12.5 million per hour.

Sperm cells are not born ready to swim; they are non-motile initially and require development time.

Sperm development within the seminiferous tubules takes 65 to 75 days before they move into the lumen.

Sperm cells then move to the epididymis, nicknamed 'swim academy', where they mature and become motile.

The epididymis contains a long tube that can stretch over 20 feet, facilitating the maturation of sperm cells.

Sperm cells are stored in the epididymis until they are needed, with the maturation process taking up to 14 days.

The total timeline for sperm cell development from start to finish can be over 80 days.

An average male release can contain from 2.5 to 5 milliliters of seminal fluid.

One milliliter of seminal fluid can contain 50 to 150 million sperm cells, with a high-end estimate of 750 million sperm cells per release.

The journey of sperm cells in the female reproductive tract is treacherous, with typically only one sperm cell fertilizing the egg.

The vas deferens plays a crucial role in propelling mature sperm cells out of the body during release.

The video uses a male cadaver for a detailed dissection to visually explain the anatomy and function of sperm production.

The process of spermatogenesis is likened to an assembly line, with a continuous daily production of sperm cells.

The video concludes with a motivational message, reminding viewers that they won the first race of their life as a sperm cell.

Transcripts

how many sperm cells can you produce in

one day that's obviously a very

important question and i would argue

that even if you don't come equipped

with sperm manufacturing plants that

this is still important to you

because let's be honest if you have

ovaries these sperm cells are coming for

you

and what you produce on a monthly basis

so we need to know

what type of army we're dealing with

here so let's use the cadavers

we'll go over exactly what inside the

testes produces the sperm cells

we'll talk some numbers and even discuss

how sperm cells aren't

born ready to swim so with all the

maturity we can muster

let's do this

[Music]

now most of us have a pretty good idea

that sperm is produced in the testes but

we want to know exactly what inside is

doing all this work

so we have a male cadaver here with a

right testicular dissection

so guys deep breath here we go

so this is the right side of the inner

thigh or the right groin here

and you can see this is the right testis

now obviously i've removed that from the

scrotal sac but even then you can still

see it has a connective tissue covering

which we're going to show you that we've

removed in just a second then also we

have the spermatic cord moving upward or

superiorly

now the spermatic cord contains veins

arteries nerves

for blood and nerve supply to and from

the testes it also contains a tube

called the vas

or ductus deferens that vas deferens you

may have heard of a mastectomy before

transports sperm cells that are produced

in the testis

up the spermatic cord and eventually

outside the body we'll talk a little bit

more about the vas deferens a little bit

later in the video

but i want to reflect or turn over the

testis here and show

our dissection here where we've removed

that outer covering of the testis

and you can see this is the actual right

testis here pretty amazing structure you

can even see on top of the testis

there's this c-shaped structure here

that we'll talk about a little bit

fyi it's the epididymis but we'll get

into that a little bit later

but we need to show the internal anatomy

of this right testis here we go

look how amazing that is inside and if

you look closely in there

it almost looks like there's little

these little stringy type things here

and these little stringy things are tiny

little tubes

that are in each testis and these little

stringy tubes are called the

seminiferous tubules

there are up to 900 of these in each

testis that's why again it looks like

little stringy things they're tiny

and these seminiferous tubules are where

sperm cells

are produced now the process of sperm

cell production is referred to as

spermatogenesis and we know

spermatogenesis occurs in these

seminiferous tubules and i want you to

think of these tiny little seminiferous

tubules as little tiny hoses

and we know if you took a hose you know

the wall of the hose typically made of

rubber

and then we have the inside of the hose

where there would be fluid flowing

through

we call the inside hollow space the

lumen but the wall of these seminiferous

tubules

is where all the magic happens because

embedded in the wall

are these stem cells that actually

produce the sperm cells

these stem cells have a name they are

called spermatogonia

which kind of thinks or sounds like this

mythical land where

maybe we could think of sperm cells

being produced by

spermatogonia or in the land of

matagonia so those from matagonia those

stem cells

embedded in the wall of the seminiferous

tubules are pretty busy

and producing sperm at what some may

consider an alarmingly high rate

they can produce up to 300

million sperm cells in one day

if we were to average that out over a

day that's approximately

12.5 million per hour 208 000 per minute

and about 3 500 per second i just

created

3 500 sperm cells and 3 500 more

look at me go so before all you males go

out there making claims that you create

troops at a ridiculous rate we have to

first understand that these troops

it takes a while for them to develop and

they're not born

ready to swim or in other words they are

non-motile

what's crazy to think about is if i go

to this dissection

these seminiferous tubules that you're

seeing in here that development or that

spermatogenesis

takes up to 65 to 75 days

so these are developing within the wall

of the tube

for 65 to 75 days before they even get

into the lumen of the tube

and move down to the next structure

where they're stored so let's kind of

review and put all of that together here

so if we take a look at the testis again

you can see

if we go inside there's all these

seminiferous tubules here

and here and that's where the

spermatogenesis is taking place for 65

to 75 days

and specifically just in the wall of the

tubule for 65 to 75 days they haven't

even made it

into the actual hollow space or the

lumen but once they hit that point

spermatogenesis has occurred

65 to 75 days later the sperm cells will

move into the actual lumen

so they can move to the next structure

in the testis

so coming back to this again let's

pretend we've moved into the wall

of those seminiferous tubules those

sperm cells will then get propelled

in this direction towards this structure

called the epididymis

now there's some collecting tubules that

we have to go through to get from point

a to point b

here those seminiferous tubules will

first drain into

these straight tubules or straight ducts

then to the reedy testes

and then from the reedy testes to the

efferent duct jewels of the testes and

finally

into the epididymis now once the sperm

cells

are in the epididymis we used to

nickname this place

swim academy because this is essentially

where the sperm cells

become motile or fully mature and again

this is this epididymis but what you're

not seeing with the naked eye here

that there is one really long tube

inside this

epididymis that if we were to stretch it

out it would be over 20 feet

long so you can imagine the sperm cells

are just moving through this tube

passively and then

eventually gaining motility and then

this is where the sperm cells will be

stored

until they are called upon so if we're

talking about the total timeline here

let's say we've got about 65 days in the

seminiferous tubules

a few days to move from the seminiferous

tubules into the epididymis and then up

to 14 days

moving throughout the epididymis where

they fully mature and become motile

for adding all that together that can

take over 80 days

for these troops to be ready from start

to finish luckily this is kind of like

we said

a daily process of like almost 300

million being ready each day

so you've got this set of 300 million

and this like assembly line of sperm

cells just coming and coming and coming

each and every day

because there is a very important target

that these cells need to get

and that is the cute little ovum so the

last thing i want to mention here

once the sperm cells have gone through

that 80-day process

they've essentially moved down to the

inferior aspect of the epididymis where

they are

waiting to be called upon and they're in

close proximity

or connected to this other tube called

the vas

deferens here or the ductus deferens now

this ductus defense or vas deferens

attaches to the inferior aspect of the

epididymis where those

mature sperm cells are hanging out so

they can easily be propelled

into this tube which will eventually

take the sperm cells

up the spermatic cord and out of the

body when they are released

now the average male can release

anywhere from 2.5

to 5 milliliters of seminal fluid now

if you break that down even further one

milliliter of seminal fluid can contain

anywhere to

50 to 150 million

50 to 150 million sperm cells

so let's say you're on the high end and

each milliliter

of your seminal fluid contains 150

million

sperm cells that means during one

potential release

you could release an army of 750 million

sperm cells now that seems like quite

the army to release

to seek find and fertilize one egg or

one of them

in the female reproductive tract but the

female reproductive tract or this

journey the sperm cells go on

is a treacherous one and not all these

sperm cells will survive

and technically typically one fertilizes

the egg so i want you guys to think of

this

from this perspective of you know 2020

was a rough year

go with me on this we've all had some

moments of sadness

depression and feeling down on ourselves

but i want you to think about this

during male release of sperm cells

millions as we saw were released

you won the first race of your life

so you should be happy about that thanks

for watching our video on sperm cell

production

please like subscribe ring the bell for

notifications

and as always blow up the comment

section below and

safe travels to all the sperm cells out

[Music]

there

you