“狡猾”的精子

The Tricky sperm

中山大学附属第八医院妇产科 肖青

The eighth Affiliated Hospital ，Sun Yat-sen University

        精子又名“精虫”。一说到虫，我们通常会想到小强蟑螂或蚯蚓。其实，精子外形就像小蝌蚪！只不过，精子平均长度55-60微米（um），小蝌蚪平均长度13.5mm，意味着小蝌蚪是精子长度的200倍。

    Sperm is also known as spermatozoa. When we mention worms, we usually think of cockroaches or earthworms. Actually, sperm looks like a tadpole! However, comparing with the average length of tadpole(13.5mm), sperm average length is only measured 55-60 microns (um) which are 200 times shorter.

        精子从生长到排出的周期是三个月，也就是说今天排出的精子是三个月前产生的，并不是今天产生就今天排的。常常有患者讲老公喝了酒，然后同了房怀上的宝宝能不能要啊？显而易见，是可以要的。

    Sperm takes 3 months to growth before ejaculation. That is to say, the sperm which ejaculated today was actually produced three months ago. Patients often question if they intercourse after their husband drank alcohol, and once they pregnant whether the fetus is heath to carry? Answer of this question obviously is sure.

        检查精子要求的时间是不同房3--5天到医院检查，这是为什么呢？比如说，昨天刚同房，今天来查精液，精液的量就会少一些，影响检查结果；但如果一周都不同房来查精液，那么储存在阴囊这个小空间里的精子们，左冲右撞，互相掐架，老化及衰竭的精子就多，也会影响检查结果。

    Why the procedure of semen-analysis is requiring male partner abstinence 3-5 days before collect the sample? The result reliability will be affected if the sperm volume was dropped down because intercourse happen the day before. However, result reliability will also decrease if abstinence over 7 days, since sperm are stored in the miner space in scrotum, they will collision and pinching which increase the ratio of aging and depletion sperm.

        人们常常认为受孕成功的精子通常是第一个冲击卵子的冠军，其实不然。前面冲击的精子耗尽全身力气，前赴后继都未能突破卵子的防线（俗称透明带)最后那个狡猾的精子在前任们功势的基础上，一举突破透明带，那一瞬间就形成了受精卵（也就是你我的开始）。

    People always believe that the sperm which successfully fertilized with the egg must be the No.1 champion to reach the egg. However, those sperms in front are too exhausted to break through ‘the defense wall’ of the egg (commonly known as Zona Pellucida) eventually, and at this moment, one of the follower sperm charge and break through the zona pellucida with one action trickily, and fertilized successfully(that’s the beginning of you and me)..

        顺便说一下，精子的正常检查结果：色灰白、均质半流状，量2--6ml；液化时间 37℃， 5~25分钟，pH 7.2~7.8，前项运动a+b≥50%，精子密度(100~200)*109/L。

    By the way, normal results of semen-analysis should be: gray-white, 2-6 ml homogeneous semifluid; 5-25 minutes 37 °C liquefaction time, 7.2~7.8 pH level, a+b (≥50%) progressive and (100~200)*109/L sperm concentration.

Shining Li（李思瑶） 英文审校

（美国生殖医学协会南加州分院及深圳瑞美安门诊国际多学科不孕个案联诊研究中心）