From a scientific viewpoint, conception is very unusual. It relies on several different processes that all have a very low possibility. For a couple to successfully conceive, it is necessary for a sperm cell to reach and join a woman’s egg. If a man does not have enough sperm or adequately mobile sperm, pregnancy can become impossible. The process behind actually making sperm is even more surprising. If all hormone levels and cell types are not present, a man cannot make sperm.
Sperm is tiny cells that are created within the testes. These cells contain a man’s genetic material, and they have a tiny wiggling tail that propels them through the uterus. They are only made in one place from one specific material. Sperm cells are always produced by spermatogonia, a very special type of cell.
Spermatogonia are a type of stem cell which means they can take the form of many types of cells. They are unlike most cells that can only produce an exact copy of themselves. The specific type of stem cells in the testes can turn into either more stem cells or they can turn into sperm.
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When they are creating cells, it is important for spermatogonia to create more stem cells. If they only produce sperm, all of the spermatogonia will die out. This leads to a type of infertility because a man will not be able to make any more sperm. However, if the stem cells only make more stem cells, then no sperm for reproduction is made. Therefore, it is necessary for spermatogonia to create both sperm and stem cells.
This very delicate balance has to be maintained for a man to stay fertile. If anything goes wrong, a man can end up infertile. This type of infertility can sometimes be reversed, but it is not always curable. In some cases, males can end up permanently unable to father a child. A lot of scientists are starting to pay more attention to the sperm creation process. New research could lead to new treatments for infertility.A recent study from 2015 was able to determine how healthy testes maintain sperm and stem cell balance.
It turns out the key ingredient is retinoic acid. When the body is running low on sperm, it sends out a pulse of this natural acid. The acid binds only to the stem cells that contain a certain type of protein. These cells then turn into sperm instead of just creating more stem cells. Though the process is still being researched, it is very promising. One day, it may be possible to encourage more stem cells to turn into sperm cells. This could help to fix male infertility caused by an excess of stem cells and a lack of sperm.
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Turning more stem cells into sperm cells is just one of the many ways of increasing sperm count. You can also increase sperm count by eating eggs, broccoli, and walnuts. These foods contain important nutrients, like vitamin B6, that help the body to build healthy sperm.
New discoveries about how sperm cells work help to explain the process of conception. When all of the hormones, proteins, and other ingredients in the testes work correctly, healthy sperm is created. This allows men to then have a great chance of impregnating a partner and becoming a father.
