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Sperm is produced in what are known as semniferous tubules. There may be as many as a thousand tubules in each of your testicles, very narrow and tightly coiled together and each over 60 cm. long. These tubules produce sperm constantly, maturing and nourishing each one for some forty-five days in sertoli or nurse cells attached to the tubule's lining. They are then released into the epididymis, the duct where they are matured and stored until needed. Sperm are produced constantly throughout the man's adult life. However, if ejaculation occurs more than once or twice a day it can take five to seven days to replenish the supplies which generally provide 200 to 400 million sperm for each ejaculation.
The testes hang outside the man's body because the sperm are produced at up to 8 degrees Celcius below normal body temperature. For this reason, it has been suggested that wearing tight trousers or underwear may reduce a man's sperm production, as tightly-fitting clothes hold the testes closer to the body than normal, and therefore at a slightly higher temperature.
FACT: Men's sperm counts are going down throughout the world.
What Is Semen Made Of?
Besides sperm, semen contains water; simple sugars (to provide fuel for sperm); alkalies (to protect sperm against the acidity of the male urethra and the vagina); prostaglandins (substances that cause contractions of the uterus and fallopian tubes, and are thought to aid in the sperm's passage to the womb); vitamin C; zinc; cholesterol; and a few other things.
While semen can transmit a variety of diseases, including the AIDS virus, healthy semen doesn't contain anything that's harmful or bad for the health.
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