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Until recently, sexology was so taboo that most people were unaware of essential facts about their reproductive organs and everything related to them.
Fortunately, little by little things are changing and information on these topics is treated more and more normally, so it is easier for the population to access much-needed information on organs such as the vagina or the penis.
And in the same way that it is important to have some basic notions about these organs, it is also important to know data about some substances such as semen and its sperm, which contain some very interesting curiosities behind them.
Sperm were discovered by a cloth merchant
Anton van Leeuwenhoek was a cloth merchant who, not content with the magnifying devices available at the time to analyze the quality of cloth, set out to improve them, eventually manufacturing what was considered the most advanced microscope of his time. epoch.
With it he was able to observe very clearly the fibers that made up the fabrics he bought, but he soon decided that his invention had much more potential, so he began to use it to observe substances such as blood, water or his own semen.
And it was precisely in analyzing the latter that he discovered what, in a letter to the Royal Society, he described as "very numerous animalcules in the sperm."
These findings earned him such recognition in the scientific scene that he decided to put aside the fabrics to continue improving his invention, becoming for many the "father of microbiology".
It can only be one
For the sperm, successfully reaching the egg is something like the Hunger Games, in which only one can reach it, leaving many companions dead along the way.
And it is that, to begin with, the interior of the vagina is very acidic (very low pH), so that it ruthlessly attacks the sperm, which are only able to survive when the pH is above 7.
For this reason, in this first step, approximately 99% of the spermatozoa leave the race, leaving only a few lucky ones who will finally reach the vicinity of the egg.
But the thing does not end there, because at the moment that one of them manages to reach its objective, the egg itself releases a series of granules, known as cortical granules, which will prevent the union of the rest of the applicants, avoiding multiple pregnancies that would suppose a greater danger for both the mother and the fetus, in addition to a less efficient use of the resources available to the body to carry the pregnancy to term.
survival time
There is a lot of mythology surrounding the survival time of a sperm, both inside and outside the female genitalia, some of them so misguided that there are still women who believe that they can get pregnant by sharing a jacuzzi with their partners.
To begin with, the lifespan of spermatozoa if they are released outside the vagina is only a few minutes; since, on the one hand, the environmental conditions are very aggressive for them and, on the other, the evaporation of the seminal fluid prevents them from continuing to live.
As for the sperm that are released inside the vagina, they only survive inside during ovulation, when the pH of the female genital tract is favorable, allowing them to survive and maintain their reproductive capacity for 72 hours.
Your first selfie.
More fish and less processed meat for better semen
It has always been said that a good diet, both in men and women, is essential to achieve a pregnancy when it resists after many attempts.
For this reason, a team of Spanish researchers from the Universitat Rovira i Virgili and the Institut d'Investigació Sanitària Pere i Virgili have published in Human Reproduction a systematic review of all the observational scientific studies carried out to date in which the influence of Diet on semen quality and sperm fertilization capacity.
After analyzing all these works, they concluded that, indeed, there are foods such as fish, chicken, cereals, shellfish, fruit, vegetables and low-fat dairy products that are beneficial for seminal quality, while others such as red and processed meats, caffeine or alcohol have a negative influence that can prevent fertilization if not solved.
Semen to moisturize the skin?
Ancient medical treatises say that one of the many treatments used by Cleopatra to maintain her splendid beauty consisted of the use of creams made with substances extracted from semen that helped keep her skin young and beautiful.
Since then, many people have defended the use of these controversial treatments and even a Norwegian brand has come to market semen-based creams that promise very beneficial effects in the prevention of wrinkles and acne.
But are these benefits really true? The answer is complicated; Well, it is true that it contains substances with great antioxidant effects, such as spermine, and vitamins such as B12 and C, which promote the growth of collagen fibers.
However, dermatologists such as Dr. Cybele Fishman consider that the use of semen for these purposes is a very unwise idea, since its pH interferes with the skin's protective barrier, making it more vulnerable to infections and the entry of oxidizing substances, which could accelerate the skin aging process.
It was used as invisible ink during World War I.
One of the substances most commonly used as invisible ink throughout history has been lemon juice, whose transparent line becomes visible by bringing a flame close to the hidden text.
Another very common method is the simple tearing of the paper with a pen without ink, which leaves a series of invisible traces that can be revealed later with the help of iodine vapours.
However, according to Professor Keith Jeffery in his book MI6: The History of the Secret Intelligence Service 1909-1949, during the First World War the Secret Intelligence Service put several British investigators to work in search of a new technique. that could not be decrypted with the help of traditional methods in case of being intercepted.
Surprisingly, after testing several substances, they came to the conclusion that semen was perfect for it, although it was necessary to warn some users that they should only write their letters with "fresh ink", otherwise a somewhat unpleasant smell could permeate the paper.
What is clear is that it was a very useful ink, the simple obtaining of which would not entail too much sacrifice for the soldiers who used it. Anything to win the war!
