Male Fertility: A Short Introduction

Sperm Production

Male fertility is mostly a product of a man’s hormones. Sperm production, which is the most important part of male fertility, is initiated by the pituitary gland, which sends a hormone called FSH to the testicles. FSH, also known as the follicle-stimulating hormone, is the signal that induces the testicles to produce sperm.

After being manufactured, sperm cells travel to the seminal vesicle through a tube called the vas deferens. The seminal vesicle is where mature sperm is stored. Another gland, the prostate, produces seminal fluid, which is mixed with the sperm to allow it to travel to the urethra. The urethra, of course, is the tube which extends from a man’s bladder, passing through the prostate, and into the penis.

Erection

When a man is sexually excited, blood rushes to the penis and causes it to be harder and erect. Sperm is withdrawn from the seminal vesicle and mixed with seminal fluid – what we know as semen. During sexual intercourse, the prostate gland contracts, which forces semen out of the urethra into the tip of the penis; a process called ejaculation.

Fertilization

Once the sperm has been deposited into a woman’s vagina, the cells start to swim up to the uterus. When a woman is fertile, she produces cervical mucus that allows the sperm cells to survive the normally acidic environment inside the vagina. The mucus also separates the healthy sperm from the defective ones. From the uterus, the sperm swim to the fallopian tubes, where fertilization will be completed if the conditions are right.

Source: http://www.healthguidance.org/authors/504/Jeanette-Pollock