The male reproductive system is responsible for the activities of production, storage and transportation of spermatozoa. Unlike the female genitalia, the male reproductive organs are located both inside and outside the pelvic cavity. They Include Men:
Where Is Sperm Produced?
Sperm production takes place in the testicles. After reaching puberty, a man produces millions of sperm cells every day, each of which is about 0.05 millimeters long.
How Is Sperm Produced?
Inside the testicles there is a system consisting of small tubes. These tubes, called seminiferous tubules, house cells that allow hormones, including testosterone, the male sex hormone, to turn into sperm. After these cells divide, they change until they take on a shape consisting of a head and a short tail.
The tails push the sperm into a tube behind the testicles called the epididymis. For about 5 weeks, sperm passes through my epididymis, completing its development. When sperm comes out of the epididymis, it switches to the vas deferens.
When a man is stimulated for sexual activity, sperm is mixed with seminal vesicles called seminal to form semen and a whitish liquid produced by the prostate gland. As a result of stimulation, semen containing up to 500 million spermatozoa is pushed out of the penis.
Another important cell type in the testicle is the Leydig cells, which make testosterone, the main male hormone. Testosterone is responsible for the characteristic development of normal male secondary sex, libido or sex drive, and normal erections. Testosterone is also important for sperm production, because the levels of this hormone are 50 times higher in the testicle than in the blood.
How Long Does It Take to Produce New Sperm?
The process of transition from a sexual cell to a mature sperm cell capable of fertilizing an egg takes about 2.5 months. During this time, millions of sperm are produced again.
Is Sperm Production Related to Hormones?
Sperm production is hormonally directed. Brain hormones manage sperm production and are precisely controlled. The male sexual organ is responsible for the production of sperm. In the brain, the hypothalamus and the anterior pituitary control sperm production. A normal hormone balance is important for normal sperm production, and these hormones are usually measured as part of an infertility assessment.
Although sperm production takes place in the testicles, it is an excellent system that is connected to various cells and hormones.