Semen It is known that those who swim slower but with groups are more likely to do so conception compared to those who swim faster but walk alone.
In a study published in Frontiers in cellular and developmental biology On September 22, 2022, scientists said they had studied bull sperm and found that reproductive cells had a better chance of success when swimming together in groups.
This finding contradicts previous findings which state that faster and stronger sperm often lead to the creation of a baby or fertilization.
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“They aren’t faster,” said Chih-kuan Tung, co-author of the study at North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University in Greensboro, North Carolina, USA, on group sperm swimming.
“In terms of speed, they are comparable or slower,” added Tung, as reported by Science news.
Instead of being quick, Tung says sperm swimming in groups is more targeted. As in the tale of a herd of turtles competing with rabbits, the winner is not necessarily the fastest, but the one who manages to keep the goal.
According to Tung, lone sperm tends to follow a curved path. This creates a problem, because the shortest distance between two points is a straight line. Meanwhile, when swimming in groups of two or more, the sperm tends to swim straight.
How to test it?
Reported by Chewable, the research team tested their theory experimentally using moving fluids. It mimics the actual experience of sperm swimming against the mucus current through the cervix and uterus to the egg.
Tung and his team built a narrow, shallow four-centimeter-long canal and filled it with fluid that mimics the conditions of the cervix and uterus.
The team also made sure it was able to control the flow to best suit its natural conditions.
From the study, the researchers learned that sperms swimming as a team were able to swim upstream. Meanwhile, individual sperm often swim in the opposite direction despite their increased speed.
When the current comes, many solitary spermatozoa are washed away. However, sperms that swim in groups can survive.
Although the discovery was made on bull sperm, the team believes the same could be applied to human sperm because the two species have similar sperm sizes.
University of Dundee fertility researcher Christopher Barratt, who was not involved in the study, said Tung’s findings are important.
‘How a sperm responds to its environment and how it can change its behavior is a very important topic. This type of technology can be used, or adapted, to select a better quality sperm,’ he concluded.
(lom / ar)
