Aarogya - Family Health | Men's Health

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Sperm Motility
The quality of the sperm is often more significant than the count. Sperm motility is the ability to move. If motility is slow, not straight forward, or both, the sperm have difficulty invading the cervical mucous or penetrating the hard outer shell of the egg. If 60% or more of sperm have normal motility, then the sperm is at least average in quality. If less than 40% of sperm are able to move in a straight line, the condition is considered abnormal. Sperm that move sluggishly may also have other defects that render them incapable of fertilizing the egg. Sperm motility can be affected by infections in the semen, semen that is too thick, or a poor environment within the epididymis.

Sperm Morphology
Morphology refers to the shape and structure of an object. Morphology may be even more important than count or motility in determining potential fertility. Abnormally shaped sperm cannot fertilize an egg. About 60% of the sperm should be normal in size and shape for adequate fertility. The perfect structure is an oval head and long tail. Abnormally shaped sperm may include a very large round head, an extremely small pinpoint head, a tapered head, a crooked head, two heads, or a tail with kinks and curls. Such an abnormality indicates early unraveling of genetic material.

Sperm–Production Defects
Germ–cell aplasia is the defective development of the sperm–producing germ cells. It may be caused by genetic defects or structural problems that occur during fetal development. Problems with Semen A reduced amount of ejaculated semen (less than 0.5 millimeters per sample) may be caused by inflammation of the seminal vesicles (the glands that produce semen) or a structural abnormality in the tubes transporting the sperm. Semen that does not liquefy properly can result from infections or from abnormal immune factors.

What causes abnormalities?
Infertility can result from many different factors. The specific cause of sperm abnormalities cannot be established in most cases. It may be the end result of one or a combination of factors that include chronic illness, malnutrition, genetic defects, structural abnormalities, and environmental factors. Partial obstruction anywhere in the long passages through which sperm pass can reduce their sperm counts.

Genetic Factors
Aside from inherited diseases that cause infertility, certain genetic factors may play a large role in many cases of male fertility. Much research has focused on a group of deletions in certain regions of the Y chromosome known as AZF. This defect appears to be a major genetic cause of severe male infertility and may be responsible for between 2% and 21% of cases of inadequate sperm. Another area of genetic research targets the gene for apolipoprotein B, which is known to play a key role in cholesterol metabolism, may also be a factor in infertility. It should be noted that genetic mutations may occur not only through inheritance but also from environmental assaults.

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