M7U2: SEMINAL FLUID ANALYSIS Flashcards
What is the primary sex organs that contribute to semen fluid formation ?
Testes
What is composed of the secondary sex organs in the male ?
Prostate gland
Seminal vesicles
Bulbourethral glands
Epididymis
During ejaculation semen is produced from a concentrated suspension of ?
Spermatozoa (about 5%)
Mixed with, and diluted by fluid secretion from accessory glands
What is the role of sertoli cells ?
Supply nutrients, hormones, and other necessary substances for normal spermatogenesis
When is the sperm nonmotile and still immature ?
When sertoli cells release it into the lumen of the seminiferous tubules
When does the sperm gain motility and mature ?
In the epididymis
The epididymis adds these to the lumen fluid, when in excess thy may contribute to infertility
Carnitine
Acetylcarnitine
What accounts for 60-70% of the ejaculate and what is it composed of ?
Seminal vesicle alkaline fluid
High concentrations of fructose, prostaglandins, and flavin
What is the role of the seminal vesicles fluid alkalinity ?
Help neutralize the acidic nature of the male urethra and female vaginal canal
This serves as a nutrient for the sperm cells, providing energy needed for the flagella to propel them through the female reproductive tract
Fructose
This imparts the characteristic gray or opalescent to light yellow appearance and is responsible for the green-white fluorescence under UV light
Flavin
This plays a role in the coagulation of the ejaculate, forming a gel-like protective layer around the sperm
Various proteins (e.g, semenogelin) secreted by the seminal vesicles
This is assumed to lower the female immune response to semen, hence preventing possible sperm malfunction
Prostaglandins
These substances contribute to sperm motility
Phosphorus and potassium
This accounts for approximately 20-30% of the ejaculate volume
Prostatic fluid secretions
What are the principal components of prostatic fluid secretions ?
Citric acid
Enzymes: Acid phosphatase and proteolytic enzymes
Zinc
From the components of prostatic fluid secretions, high levels of acid phosphatase can be used to identify semen
Acid phosphatase
From the components of prostatic fluid secretions, these are responsible for the liquefaction
Proteolytic enzymes
From the components of prostatic fluid secretions, when added to semen by the prostate gland this can be used to evaluate prostate function
Zinc
A decrease level of zinc in semen is associated with what ?
Prostate gland disorders
The ___, located below the prostate, contribute about 5% of the fluid volume in the form of a thick, alkaline mucus
Bulbourethral glands
This gland is responsible for the secretion of a pre-ejaculate (a clear rich fluid in mucuproteins) that neutralizes the acidity of urine remaining in the urethre
Bulbourethral glands
During ejaculation, the first portions of semen released are mainly ___
Prostatic secretions rich in sperm cells
What may happen to the results of semen analysis when a portion of the initial ejaculate is not collected ?
Sperm concentration will be falsely decreased
What may happen to the results of semen analysis when a there is a reduction in prostate secretions ?
pH is falsely decreased and the semen coagulum will fail to liquefy
What may happen to the results of semen analysis when the last portion of an ejaculate is missing ?
Semen volume decreased
Sperm concentration falsely increased
pH falsely decreased
Coagulum will not form
Which portion of the ejaculate has more influence on the results of semen analysis ?
First portion
When a large volume of of seminal fluid at ejaculation enhances sperm motility, ___ may occur that may underestimate sperm concentration
Dilution
Better semen quality is obtained after a minimum of __ days and maximum of __ days abstinence from ejaculation
2, 7
Specimens collected following prolonged abstinence tend to have higher ___ and decreased ____
Volume
Motility
What may happen in the absence of ejaculation ?
Spermatozoa accumulate in epididymis then overflow into the urethra and have the tendency to be flushed out in the urine
What influences the range of age and quality of the spermatozoa in the ejaculate ?
Epididymis are not completely emptied after one ejaculation, some spermatozoa remain from the previous ejaculate
In the study of takihara, it was found that the ___ bears a direct correlation with testicular function
Size of testis
Quality of sperm samples may differ due to ___, since the time spent producing a sample by masturbation also influences semen quality
Sexual arousal
In general, seminal fluid analysis is done for ___ (4)
- Evaluation if infertility and post-vasectomy cases
- For selection of donors for therapeutic insemination, in-vitro fertilization or embryo transfer
- For exposure screening to reproductive toxicants
- For cryopreservation/sperm banking
What is the purpose of determining total number of spermatozoa ?
Assessing the capacity of the testes to produce sperm cells for assessing the patency (the state of being unobstructed) of the post-testicular or ejaculatory duct system
What would the evaluation of total fluid volume help assess ?
Provide a picture on the secretory activity of the different accessory glands
What are the requirements for collection when assessing fertility ?
Two or three samples within a 3 month period and at least 7 days apart should be examined
Why must the semen sample be collected in a private room near the laboratory ?
To limit the exposure of the semen to fluctuations in temperature and to control the time between collection and analysis
In sample collection preparation what should the report form contain ?
Name DOB Period of abstinence Date and Time of collection Completeness of the sample Any difficulties in producing the sample and the time interval between collection and start of semen analysis
