Question Details

In a man, sperms move after ejaculation at a rate of nearly

Options

A

2 to 4 inches/minute

B

2 to 4 mm/minute

C

2 to 4 cm/minute

D

2 to 4 feet/minute

Correct Answer :

2 to 4 mm/minute

Solution :

The correct option is 2 to 4 mm/minute.

Following ejaculation, sperm cells must travel through the female reproductive tract to reach the fallopian tubes, where fertilization of the ovum typically occurs. This journey requires active motility, which is powered by the rhythmic, whip-like beating of the sperm's tail (flagellum).

Physiological and clinical measurements show that viable, motile human spermatozoa swim at an average speed of approximately:
2 to 4 mm/minute
This rate allows them to progress through the cervix and uterus. While this speed might seem small in absolute terms, relative to the microscopic size of a sperm cell (which is about 50 to 60 micrometers in total length), traveling 2 to 4 millimeters per minute is a highly efficient rate of locomotion.

Therefore, the other units (inches, centimeters, or feet per minute) represent distances that are far too large for microscopic sperm cells to traverse in a single minute, confirming that 2 to 4 mm/minute is the biologically accurate rate.

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