Patient's question:
Patient Gender: Review Results: Semen Volume: 3 normal. (Normal Value: >=2ml) Semen pH Value: 0.0 low. (Normal Value: 7.2-7.8) Semen Motility: 71.25% low (Normal Value: >=60%) Sperm Activity: A+B sperm is 41.25% low. Normal Value: >=50% Sperm Density: 62.30 sperm; 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 glands such as the prostate and bulbourethral glands. It consists of two parts: sperm and seminal plasma. Sperm is produced in the testes and suspended in seminal plasma, which serves to protect the sperm. Normal semen is milky and egg-white-like, but may appear pale yellow if abstinence has been prolonged without ejaculation. Newly expelled semen has a distinct fishy odor, is highly viscous, and has a gelatinous consistency. After 30 minutes outside the body, it completely liquefies into a fluid. A single ejaculation releases 2 to 6 milliliters of semen; less than 0.5 milliliters is considered oligospermia. Each milliliter of semen contains 100 to 200 million sperm. Frequent ejaculation can reduce both the volume of semen and the number of sperm. If sperm is 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 loses its vitality in about 8 hours at 37°C. In normal semen, about 85 to 90% of sperm are active, while non-motile or dead sperm should not exceed 10 to 15%. If sperm is too few or has very low motility, or if the proportion of abnormal and dead sperm is too high, fertilization will be significantly reduced, even leading to infertility.
Normal semen is slightly alkaline, with a pH of around 7.5. Values below 7.2 or above 7.8 are considered abnormal. After ejaculation, semen contacts air and becomes gelatinous, liquefying 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 conditions such as semen not coagulating or not liquefying may occur.
The process of normal ejaculation follows a certain order. The first part expelled contains sperm, epididymal fluid, secretions from the bulbourethral glands, and prostatic fluid; the second part is primarily composed of secretion from the seminal vesicles. Therefore, the first part contains more sperm with better motility and vitality. This orderly sequence in ejaculation 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, odorous liquid 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 mixed fluid 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 odor.