ejaculation

ejaculation, the release of sperm cells and seminal plasma from the male reproductive system. Ejaculation takes place in two phases: in the first, or emission, stage, sperm are moved from the testes and the epididymis (where the sperm are stored) to the beginning of the urethra, a hollow tube running through the penis that transports either sperm or urine; in the second stage, ejaculation proper, the semen is moved through the urethra and expelled from the body.

Sperm cells that are stored in the male body are not capable of self-movement because of the acidity of the accompanying fluids. When the sperm receive fluids, called seminal plasma, from the various internal accessory organs (prostate gland, ejaculatory ducts, seminal vesicles, and bulbourethral glands), the acidity decreases. As they leave the body, the sperm receive oxygen, which is vital to motility. Unable to leave the male body by their own motivation, the sperm cells are transported by muscular contractions. During the emission phase, the muscles around the epididymis and ductus deferens (the tube extending from the epididymis) contract to push the sperm into the prostate and urethra. During ejaculation, the semen is expelled by strong spasmodic contractions of the bulbocavernosus muscle, which encircles the corpus spongiosum (the structure in the penis that encloses the urethra). The whole process of ejaculation is accomplished by nerve impulses received from the penis; once ejaculation is started it becomes a reflex reaction that cannot be voluntarily interrupted.

The seminal fluid is not passed from the various accessory glands simultaneously. A small amount of mucuslike secretion is first passed from the bulbourethral and urethral glands to flush out the urethra and prepare it for the sperm. Next follows the fluid from the prostate gland, and then that from the seminal vesicles. Finally, the fluid actually containing the sperm is ejaculated. After the bulk of the sperm cells have passed, more fluids follow and again flush out the urethra. The total volume of the ejaculate averages between 2 and 5 millilitres (0.12 to 0.31 cubic inch) in the human; of this, only about 1 to 5 percent are actually sperm cells. The other constituents of semen include nutrients, water, salts, waste products of metabolism, and cellular debris. The secretions of the testes and accessory glands are produced under the influence of the male hormone testosterone; without sufficient testosterone the glands degenerate and cannot secrete fluids. See also erection.

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