The path of sperm
Vas deferens, urethra, glands, sperm.
A journey
Sperm are made in the testes, but they must leave the body to meet an egg.
What do you think they need on the way?
What this lesson covers
The idea
Sperm pass from the testes through the vas deferens into the urethra, a passage shared with urine; seminal vesicles and prostate add fluids that nourish and activate them; each sperm has a genetic-material head and a swimming tail.
A journey
Sperm are made in the testes, but they must leave the body to meet an egg.
What do you think they need on the way?
- A passage, and fluids that nourish them
- A hard shell
- Sunlight
Follow the path
Press Next step. The picture is a simple schematic.
A path with helpers
Sperm leave through a tube, join the common passage, and glands add fluids that nourish them and keep them moving. Each sperm has a head and a tail.
Sperm pass from the testes through the vas deferens into the urethra, a passage shared with urine. The seminal vesicles and prostate add fluids that nourish and activate them. Each sperm has a head with genetic material and a swimming tail.
Notes
Sperm travel from the testes by the vas deferens to the urethra; seminal vesicles and prostate add fluids; a sperm has a head and a tail.
Check yourself
Through which tube do sperm travel from the testes?
The urethra is a common passage for…
What do the seminal vesicles and prostate do?
What does the long tail of a sperm do?
- The vas deferens — correct. Yes!
- The oviduct. The oviduct is a tube of the female reproductive system.
- The cervix. The cervix is a narrow passage between the uterus and the vagina in females.
- blood and sperm. The urethra is a common passage for the urine and the sperm.
- urine and sperm — correct. Yes!
- food and urine. The urethra is the passage for urine and sperm. It is not a passage for food.
- Make the sperm. Sperm are produced in the testes.
- Hold the sperm in the scrotum. The scrotum keeps the testes cooler. The glands add fluids to nourish the sperm.
- Add fluids to nourish the sperm and help them remain active — correct. Yes!
- Helps it swim towards the egg — correct. Yes!
- Holds the genetic material. The head contains the genetic material.
- Makes fluids for the sperm. The seminal vesicles and prostate add the fluids.