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The man's body continuously produces sperm, but this regeneration is not instant, it takes a certain process. On average, it takes a man about 74 days to fully produce sperm.
This process of sperm formation is called spermatogenesis. So “how does the sperm meet the egg? How long does it take for the sperm to reach the egg? or how long does it take for sperm to meet an egg .. " are questions that are of great interest to many people.
In humans, sperm are male gametes, carrying a haploid set of 23 chromosomes. During fertilization, the 23 chromosomes of the sperm combine with the 23 chromosomes of the egg to form a zygote with 46 chromosomes and develop into a complete individual. Sperm are highly differentiated to perform its reproductive function, that is, moving in the female reproductive tract, recognizing and fertilizing an egg, the way the sperm meets the egg is also very special.
The way the sperm meets the egg will begin from when the man is sexually aroused, the process of ejaculation will begin. From the epididymis, sperm are released along the vas deferens, then mixed with secretions of the prostate gland (accounting for 30%), seminal vesicles (accounting for 60%), and urethral bulbous glands (accounting for 10%). and finally expelled through the urethra. Millions of sperm have begun their quest to find the egg. The way the sperm meets the egg is not an easy journey.
"How does the sperm meet the egg?", to meet the egg, the sperm must overcome many obstacles, the first is that the acidity in the woman's vagina can kill sperm. Next comes cervical mucus, which is like an impenetrable web, except during 1 or 2 days of ovulation. This net will be loosened and even then, only a few of the strongest swimmers will be able to break through. If it survives, the sperm needs to "travel" about 20cm long from the cervix through the uterus to the fallopian tubes at a rate of about 2-3mm/min. This is not a short trip and how long it takes for the sperm to reach the egg depends on many factors.
The fastest swimming sperm can reach the egg in as little as 45 minutes, while the slowest sperm can take up to 12 hours. If an egg hasn't been found in the fallopian tube at the time of intercourse, they can wait there for up to 72 hours. Only a few dozen sperm can find an egg, the rest get stuck, get lost, maybe because they entered the fallopian tube without an egg, or died on the way. Once a sperm has penetrated the eggshell, the egg will immediately make the shell solid again, making it impossible for other sperm to penetrate. It is like a protective shield placed on top of the egg right after the first sperm has safely "set foot" inside for fertilization.
Many people wonder "how long does it take for sperm to fertilize an egg? ". However, the final stage of conception can take another 3 days or so. It may take a few more weeks until you find yourself late or missed your period and may suspect that you will have a baby.
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