Читать книгу Need to Know Fertility, Conception and Pregnancy - Harriet Sharkey - Страница 21

Follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) stimulates the testicles to produce sperm – over 12 billion are produced each month. Luteinising hormone (LH) stimulates production of the male hormone testosterone within the testicles. Testosterone is essential for normal sperm production. After sperm are produced, they then have a long journey ahead before they are ready to fertilize an egg.

When they leave the testicles, they travel down a very fine coiled tube attached to the testicle called the epididymis, which is about 5-6 m (16-20 ft) long. Sperm entering the epididymis lack the ability to swim forwards, which is necessary to reach the egg. But as the epididymis sweeps them along, the sperm mature, so that by the time they reach the end of the epididymis, they have the ability to move or swim forwards. This whole process takes over 70 days.

Sperm are stored at the end of the epididymis. From there they flow into another tube, which connects the epididymis to the penis. This is called the vas deferens. This tube is about 30 cm (12 in)