SEMEN ANALYSIS: OVERVIEW

Friday, April 6, 2018 9:01 PM

• SEMEN IS A BODY FLUID EMITTED FROM THE PENIS VIA THE URETHRA UPON EJACULATION
COMPOSITION
SPERMATOZOA 5%
SEMINAL FLUID 60 ­ 70%
PROSTATIC FLUID 20 ­ 30%
MUCOPROTEIN 5%
• SEMEN PRODUCTION
○ SPERMATOZOA IS PRODUCED BY THE GERM CELLS OF THE SEMINIFEROUS TUBULES IN THE
TESTES
ƒ PRODUCTION OF SPERM IS REGULATED BY HYPOTHALAMIC­PITUITARY­GONADAL AXIS
(AND AS WELL AS THE ADRENAL CORTEX)
□ GONADOTROPIN-RELEASING HORMONE (GnRH)
□ LUTEINIZING HORMONE (LH)
ƒ STIMULATES LEYDIG CELLS TO PRODUCE TESTOSTERONE
□ FOLLICLE-STIMULATING HORMONE (FSH)
ƒ STIMULATE SERTOLI CELLS
ƒ CRUCIAL FOR SPERMIOGENESIS
□ TESTOSTERONE
ƒ PRODUCED BY LEYDIG CELLS (95%) & PERIPHERAL CONVERSION OF
DEHYDROEPIANDROSTERONE (DHEA) AND ANDROSTRENEDIONE
ƒ FOR GROWTH AND DIVISION OF TESTICULAR GERMINAL CELLS
ƒ NEGATIVE FEEDBACK TO HYPOTHALAMUS AND ANTERIOR PITUITARY GLAND
□ INHIBIN A
ƒ MIGRATE TO THE LUMEN THEN RELEASED.
□ STRAIGHT TUBULES ­­> STRAIGHT DUCT ­­> MEDIASTINUM TESTIS ­­> EFFERENT
DUCTULE ­­> EPIDIDYMIS ­­> DUCTUS DEFERENS ­­> EJACULATORY DUCT WHERE IT
MEETS THE SEMINAL VESICLE (TRAVERSE THE PROSTATE GLAND) ­­>
BULBOURETHRAL + URETHRA
○ SEMINAL FLUID
ƒ VISCID, YELLOWISH SECRETION OF THE SEMINAL VESICLES
ƒ Basic pH
ƒ PRODUCTION DEPENDS ON TESTOSTERONE (METABOLIZED IN THE ORGAN VIA 5­ALPHA­
REDUCTASE)
ƒ COMPOSITION
□ FRUCTOSE
ƒ SOURCE OF ENERGY FOR MOTILITY
□ PROSTAGLANDINS
ƒ FOR FERTILIZATION
□ FLAVIN

□ FIBRINOGEN
ƒ FOR COAGULATION
○ PROSTATIC FLUID
ƒ PRODUCED BY THE PROSTATE; RESPONSIBLE FOR MILKY APPEARANCE
ƒ SLIGHTLY ACIDIC
ƒ COMPOSITION
□ PROSTATE-SPECIFIC ANTIGEN
ƒ ENZYME, CATALYST, COAGULASE (Prostatic Profibrinolysin)
ƒ LIQUEFY THE CLOTTED SEMEN SO THAT SPERMATOZOA CAN ESCAPE FROM IT
AND SWIM OFF TO FERTILIZE EGG CELLS
□ ACID­PHOSPHATASE
□ ZINC
○ MUCOPROTEINS
ƒ Produced by Bulbourethral Glands
ƒ Alkaline Mucous
ƒ Lubrication