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| Sperm swimming technique 'all down to simple maths' | Sperm swimming technique 'all down to simple maths' |
| (about 7 hours later) | |
| How an individual sperm swims, against all the odds, through fluid to reach the fallopian tubes has been revealed - and it's all about rhythm. | How an individual sperm swims, against all the odds, through fluid to reach the fallopian tubes has been revealed - and it's all about rhythm. |
| Researchers from the UK and Japan found that the head and tail movements of sperm made patterns similar to the fields that form around magnets. | Researchers from the UK and Japan found that the head and tail movements of sperm made patterns similar to the fields that form around magnets. |
| And these help to propel sperm towards the female egg. | And these help to propel sperm towards the female egg. |
| Knowing why some sperm succeed and others fail could help treat male infertility, the researchers said. | Knowing why some sperm succeed and others fail could help treat male infertility, the researchers said. |
| More than 50 million sperm embark on the journey to fertilise an egg when a man and woman have sex. | More than 50 million sperm embark on the journey to fertilise an egg when a man and woman have sex. |
| About 10 reach the finish line - but there can only be one winner. | About 10 reach the finish line - but there can only be one winner. |
| The journey is treacherous, says study author Dr Hermes Gadelha. | The journey is treacherous, says study author Dr Hermes Gadelha. |
| "Every time someone tells me they are having a baby, I think it is one of the greatest miracles ever - but no-one realises," says Dr Gadelha, a lecturer in applied mathematics at the University of York. | "Every time someone tells me they are having a baby, I think it is one of the greatest miracles ever - but no-one realises," says Dr Gadelha, a lecturer in applied mathematics at the University of York. |
| He and his team measured the beat of individual sperm cells' tails to try to understand the flow of fluid around the sperm. | He and his team measured the beat of individual sperm cells' tails to try to understand the flow of fluid around the sperm. |
| It turns out that a "simple mathematical formula" explains the rhythmical patterns created, Dr Gadelha says. | It turns out that a "simple mathematical formula" explains the rhythmical patterns created, Dr Gadelha says. |
| And these movements help selected sperm cells move forward towards their holy grail - the female egg. | And these movements help selected sperm cells move forward towards their holy grail - the female egg. |
| The study, published in the journal Physical Review Letters, says the next step is to use the model to predict how large numbers of sperm move. | The study, published in the journal Physical Review Letters, says the next step is to use the model to predict how large numbers of sperm move. |
| Prof Allan Pacey, a sperm expert from the University of Sheffield, says a successful sperm is more than just about swimming prowess. | Prof Allan Pacey, a sperm expert from the University of Sheffield, says a successful sperm is more than just about swimming prowess. |
| "The more we know about sperm the better. This might help infertility treatment in some small way but there are lots of other factors to consider too." | "The more we know about sperm the better. This might help infertility treatment in some small way but there are lots of other factors to consider too." |
| They include the number of sperm available, getting them to the right place at the right time and the DNA present in the head of the sperm. | They include the number of sperm available, getting them to the right place at the right time and the DNA present in the head of the sperm. |
| Race to the egg - what sort of journey do sperm face? | Race to the egg - what sort of journey do sperm face? |
| When a man has ejaculated, 50 million to 150 million sperm are produced, and these cells immediately start swimming upstream towards a woman's fallopian tubes. | When a man has ejaculated, 50 million to 150 million sperm are produced, and these cells immediately start swimming upstream towards a woman's fallopian tubes. |
| But it's not an easy journey - there are lots of hurdles to overcome for the male sex cells, which are just 0.065mm in length. | But it's not an easy journey - there are lots of hurdles to overcome for the male sex cells, which are just 0.065mm in length. |
| Only one sperm can penetrate the woman's egg and fertilise it, so the race is on. | Only one sperm can penetrate the woman's egg and fertilise it, so the race is on. |
| First, they have to survive the vagina, where conditions mean most die. Then they have to avoid dead ends and being trapped before reaching the uterus. | First, they have to survive the vagina, where conditions mean most die. Then they have to avoid dead ends and being trapped before reaching the uterus. |
| On the way there are marauding white blood cells ready to kill them. | On the way there are marauding white blood cells ready to kill them. |
| Finally, the remaining sperm arrive at the fallopian tubes, where they are fed and nourished. | |
| But has an egg been released at exactly the right time to welcome the winning sperm? If not, the journey has all been in vain. | But has an egg been released at exactly the right time to welcome the winning sperm? If not, the journey has all been in vain. |