Patient's question:
Patient Gender: Review Results: Semen Volume: 3 normal. (Normal value: >=2ml) Semen pH: 0.0 low. (Normal value: 7.2-7.8) Semen motility: 71.25% low (Normal value: >=60%) Sperm motility: A+B sperm is 41.25% low. Normal value: >=50% Sperm density: 62.30 per; low (Normal value: >=20M/ML)Doctor's answer:
Normal semen: Transparent or translucent, with a faint odor, not very pleasant to smell when close.Male semen is a mixture of sperm produced by the testes and fluids secreted by the prostate, bulbourethral glands, and other accessory glands. It consists of two parts: sperm and seminal plasma. Sperm are produced in the testes and suspended in seminal plasma, which serves to protect the sperm. Normal semen is milky white and egg-white-like, but if abstinence has been prolonged and ejaculation has not occurred, it may appear pale yellow. Newly expelled semen has a distinctive fishy odor and is highly viscous, appearing jelly-like. Within 30 minutes after ejaculation, it completely liquefies into a fluid.
The volume of semen per ejaculation is typically 2 to 6 milliliters, and less than 0.5 milliliters is considered oligospermia. There are 100 to 200 million sperm per milliliter of semen. Frequent ejaculation can reduce both the volume and the number of sperm. If sperm are placed in a specific nutrient solution at a certain ratio for observation, normal sperm should remain active for at least 3 hours. Sperm expelled from the body lose their viability within about 8 hours at 37°C. In normal semen, about 85 to 90% of sperm are motile, while non-motile or dead sperm should not exceed 10 to 15%. If sperm are too few, have low motility, or if the proportion of abnormal and dead sperm is too high, fertilization may be significantly reduced, even leading to infertility.
Normal semen is slightly alkaline, with a pH value around 7.5. Values below 7.2 or above 7.8 are considered abnormal. After ejaculation, semen contacts air and forms a gel, which liquefies within 20 to 30 minutes. This transition from liquid to gel and back to liquid is related to the unique enzyme system in semen. If this enzyme system is abnormal, pathological phenomena such as semen not coagulating or not liquefying may occur.
The process of normal ejaculation follows a specific order. The first part expelled contains sperm, fluid from the epididymis, secretions from the bulbourethral glands, and prostatic fluid; the second part is primarily composed of secretions from the seminal vesicles. Therefore, the first part contains more sperm, which are more motile and have better vitality. This orderly sequence is due to the different contraction patterns of smooth muscles in the ducts and accessory glands. If the normal contraction sequence is disrupted during ejaculation, the order of ejaculation will also be disrupted, leading to abnormal infertility.
Semen is a milky white liquid with a special odor, secreted by the male gonads and accessory organs. Prolonged abstinence may make it appear pale yellow. In humans, semen is expelled from the reproductive and urinary tracts during ejaculation and consists of sperm and seminal plasma. Sperm are male reproductive cells, while seminal plasma serves to transport sperm, provide nutrients, and stimulate sperm activity. The two are like fish and water.
※※ Physicochemical properties of semen
Seminal plasma is a mixture of secretions from male accessory glands, primarily from the seminal vesicles and prostate. 60% comes from the seminal vesicles, 30% from the prostate, 10% from the epididymis, ampulla of the vas deferens, bulbourethral glands, and urethral glands. During ejaculation, semen undergoes a series of physicochemical reactions—coagulation, gelation, and liquefaction—to become liquid. The formed elements include sperm, cells, (phosphodiesterase crystals), and bacteria, giving it a bean-like fishy odor.