How long reproduce sperm

Unlike the female genitalia , the male reproductive organs are on both the interior and the exterior of the pelvic cavity. They include:. Sperm production occurs in the testicles. Upon reaching puberty , a man will produce millions of sperm cells every day, each measuring about 0.

There is a system of tiny tubes in the testicles. These tubes, called the seminiferous tubules, house the germ cells that hormones — including testosterone , the male sex hormone — cause to turn into sperm.

The germ cells divide and change until they resemble tadpoles with a head and short tail. The tails push the sperm into a tube behind the testes called the epididymis. For about five weeks, the sperm travel through the epididymis, completing their development. Once out of the epididymis, the sperm move to the vas deferens. When a man is stimulated for sexual activity, the sperm are mixed with seminal fluid — a whitish liquid produced by the seminal vesicles and the prostate gland — to form semen.

As a result of the stimulation, the semen, which contains up to million sperm , is pushed out of the penis ejaculated through the urethra. Thank you for Subscribing Our Housecall e-newsletter will keep you up-to-date on the latest health information. Please try again. Something went wrong on our side, please try again. Show references Frequently asked questions: Contraception FAQ Fertility awareness-based methods of family planning. American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists.

Accessed Jan. Hatcher RA, et al. Fertility awareness-based methods. In: Contraceptive Technology. Ayer Company Publishers; Although the timing of these changes is different for every guy, the stages of puberty generally follow a set sequence:.

A male who has reached puberty will produce millions of sperm cells every day. Sperm develop in the testicles within a system of tiny tubes called the seminiferous tubules. At birth, these tubules contain simple round cells. During puberty, testosterone and other hormones cause these cells to transform into sperm cells.

The cells divide and change until they have a head and short tail, like tadpoles. The head contains genetic material genes. The sperm move into the epididymis, where they complete their development. The seminal vesicles and prostate gland make a whitish fluid called seminal fluid, which mixes with sperm to form semen when a male is sexually stimulated. The penis, which usually hangs limp, becomes hard when a male is sexually excited. Tissues in the penis fill with blood and it becomes stiff and erect an erection.

The rigidity of the erect penis makes it easier to insert into the female's vagina during sex. When the erect penis is stimulated, muscles around the reproductive organs contract and force the semen through the duct system and urethra. Semen is pushed out of the male's body through his urethra — this process is called ejaculation. Each time a guy ejaculates, it can contain up to million sperm. If semen is ejaculated into a female's vagina, millions of sperm "swim" up from the vagina through the cervix and uterus to meet the egg in the fallopian tube.

It takes only one sperm to fertilize the egg. This fertilized egg is now called a zygote and contains 46 chromosomes — half from the egg and half from the sperm. This process starts at puberty. Men can produce an average of sperm per second. This means if a man is fertile, he will never run out of healthy sperms. To understand how long sperm lives in the male body, it is essential to understand how it is produced and released.

When a boy is born, the seminiferous tubules in the testes contain simple round cells. During puberty, these cells are transformed into sperms with a head, mid-section and tail.

The sperms use their long tails to push themselves out of the tubes into the epididymis. For the next 2 to 4 weeks the sperm swims through the epididymis as it develops further.

From here it moves into the sperm duct or vas deferens where it is mixed with seminal fluid to form semen. This process is known as Spermatogenesis. When a man reaches an orgasm after sexual stimulation, this semen is pushed out of the body through the urethra.

On an average, a man ejaculates million sperms at a time. If the sperm enters a woman's vagina it will try to fertilize an egg. A sperm can live for up to 5 days in the woman's vagina. However, if it is released into the open, it cannot live for more than a few minutes. If sperm is not ejaculated, it stays in the man's body for about 74 days. After this, the sperm cells die and are reabsorbed by the body.