Sperm motility - wikipedia Sperm motility Sperm motility describes the ability of sperm to move properly through the female reproductive tract ( internal fertilization ) or through water ( external fertilization ) to reach the egg. Sperm motility can also be thought of as the quality, which is a factor in successful conception ; sperm that do not `` swim '' properly will not reach the egg in order to fertilize it. Sperm motility in mammals also facilitates the passage of the sperm through the cumulus oophorus ( a layer of cells ) and the zona pellucida ( a layer of extracellular matrix ), which surround the mammalian oocyte. In the wood mouse Apodemus sylvaticus, sperms aggregate in ' trains ' that are better able to fertilize eggs because they are more capable of navigating the viscous environment of the female reproductive tract. The trains move in a sinusoidal motion. Sperm motility is also affected by certain factors released by eggs. Sperm movement is activated by changes in intracellular ion concentration. The changes in ion concentration that provoke motility are different among species. In marine invertebrates and sea urchins, the rise in pH to about 7.2 -- 7.6 activates ATPase which leads to a decrease in intracellular potassium, and thus induces membrane hyperpolarization. As a result, sperm movement is activated. The change in cell volume which alters intracellular ion concentration can also contribute to the activation of sperm motility. In some mammals, sperm motility is activated by increase in pH, calcium ion and cAMP, yet it is suppressed by low pH in the epididymis. The tail of the sperm - the flagellum - confers motility upon the sperm, and has three principal components : a central skeleton constructed of 11 microtubules collectively termed the axoneme and similar to the equivalent structure found in cilia a thin cell membrane covering the axoneme mitochondria arranged spirally around it the axoneme, Back and forth movement of the tail results from a rhythmical longitudinal sliding motion between the anterior and posterior tubules that make up the axoneme. The energy for this process is supplied by ATP produced by mitochondria. The velocity of a sperm in fluid medium is usually 1 -- 4 mm / min. This allows the sperm to move towards an ovum in order to fertilize it. In mammals, spermatozoa mature functionally through a process which is known as capacitation. When spermatozoa reach the isthmic oviduct, their motility has been reported to be reduced as they attach to epithelium. Near the time of ovulation, hyperactivation occurs. During this process, the flagella move with high curvature and long wavelength. Hyperactivation is initiated by extracellular calcium ; however, the factors that regulate calcium level is unknown. Without technological intervention, a non-motile or abnormally - motile sperm is not going to fertilize. Therefore, the fraction of a sperm population that is motile is widely used as a measure of semen quality. Insufficient sperm motility is a common cause of subfertility or infertility. Several measures are available to improve sperm quality. Contents 1 Sperm DNA damage 2 Classifications of motility 3 References 4 External links Sperm DNA damage Sperm DNA damage is common in infertile men. About 31 % of men with sperm motility defects have high levels of sperm DNA fragmentation. Classifications of motility Straight moving, Zig - zag moving, Vibrating, Non-motile References Jump up ^ Quill, A.T., Garbers, L.D. ( 2002 ). `` Sperm Motility Activation and Chemoattraction ''. In Daniel M. Hardy. Fertilization. Carlifornia : Academic press. p. 29. ISBN 0 - 12 - 311629 - 5. CS1 maint : Multiple names : authors list ( link ) Jump up ^ Blomberg Jensen M : Vitamin D and male reproduction. Nature Reviews Endocrinology 10, 175 -- 186 ( 2014 ) doi : 10.1038 / nrendo. 2013.262 Jump up ^ Darszon, A., labarca, P., Nishigaki, T., and Espinosa, F. ( 1999 ). Ion channels in sperm physiology. Physiol. Rev 79, 481 - 510 Jump up ^ Mortimer, D., Aitken, R.J., Mortimer, S.T., and Pacey, A.A. ( 1995 ). Workshop report : Clinical CASA - the quest for consensus. Reprod. Fertil. Dev 7, 951 -- 959 Jump up ^ Yanagimachi, R. ( 1994 ). Mammalian fertilization. In `` The Physiology of Reproduction '' ( E. Knobil and J.D. Neill, eds. ), pp. 189 -- 317. Raven Press, New York Jump up ^ Simon L, Lutton D, McManus J, Lewis SE ( 2011 ). `` Sperm DNA damage measured by the alkaline Comet assay as an independent predictor of male infertility and in vitro fertilization success ''. Fertil. Steril. 95 ( 2 ) : 652 -- 7. doi : 10.1016 / j. fertnstert. 2010.08. 019. PMID 20864101. Jump up ^ Belloc S, Benkhalifa M, Cohen - Bacrie M, Dalleac A, Chahine H, Amar E, Zini A ( 2014 ). `` Which isolated sperm abnormality is most related to sperm DNA damage in men presenting for infertility evaluation ''. J. Assist. Reprod. Genet. 31 ( 5 ) : 527 -- 32. doi : 10.1007 / s10815 - 014 - 0194 - 3. PMC 4016368. PMID 24566945. External links Wikimedia Commons has media related to Sperm motility. Sperm motility, Colorado State University Semen analysis - how to interpret a semen analysis report, Malpani Infertility Clinic Sperm count analysis Retrieved from `` https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Sperm_motility&oldid=793978230 '' Categories : Andrology Fertility Hidden categories : CS1 maint : Multiple names : authors list Talk Contents About Wikipedia Add links This page was last edited on 5 August 2017, at 02 : 02. 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Question: where do sperms get the energy required to keep the flagella moving
Answer: ATP produced by mitochondria