puzzling issue
May 22, 2006 8:47 PM Subscribe
how come my semen turns clear after being exposed to air?
its white at first but turns clear and watery after a couple minutes. is this what happens when sperm die?
its white at first but turns clear and watery after a couple minutes. is this what happens when sperm die?
No, sperm can survive for longer than that.
There's stuff in your semen that alters its viscosity over time; this stuff includes enzymes, glycosaminoglycans, and other amines.
I suspect that you're probably observing the effect of 'prostate-specific antigen' (PSA). The enzymatic action of PSA serves to liquefy some components of semen, changing it from a viscous gel to a more freely-flowing liquid. This stuff is timed so that semen doesn't run freely out of the vagina immediately after ejaculation, but instead hangs around long enough to bathe the cervix and enter the uterus via the cervical isthmus.
Once that's done, the semen then liquifies so that the sperm can swim more swiftly to their final destination in the fallopian tubes.
posted by ikkyu2 at 9:00 PM on May 22, 2006
There's stuff in your semen that alters its viscosity over time; this stuff includes enzymes, glycosaminoglycans, and other amines.
I suspect that you're probably observing the effect of 'prostate-specific antigen' (PSA). The enzymatic action of PSA serves to liquefy some components of semen, changing it from a viscous gel to a more freely-flowing liquid. This stuff is timed so that semen doesn't run freely out of the vagina immediately after ejaculation, but instead hangs around long enough to bathe the cervix and enter the uterus via the cervical isthmus.
Once that's done, the semen then liquifies so that the sperm can swim more swiftly to their final destination in the fallopian tubes.
posted by ikkyu2 at 9:00 PM on May 22, 2006
piggyback question -- why does semen become and stay very sticky if immediately mixed with water? does the water leach away the PSA that ikkyu2 mentions?
posted by randomstriker at 9:08 PM on May 22, 2006
posted by randomstriker at 9:08 PM on May 22, 2006
Randomstriker, my guess would be that it either has to do with pH or concentration of an Ion, my guess would be something multivalent like Calcium.
posted by Good Brain at 10:06 PM on May 22, 2006
posted by Good Brain at 10:06 PM on May 22, 2006
I think I recall hearing or reading that after a minute or two, semen thickens slightly, to make it less likely to drain out of the vagina.
posted by IndigoRain at 3:09 AM on May 23, 2006
posted by IndigoRain at 3:09 AM on May 23, 2006
randomstriker, if it's hot water you're talking about (shower or bath?) then it's most likely the heat that is causing the semen to change its consistency. Semen is mostly protein, and proteins increase in viscosity and opacity when heated - eggwhite is another example.
posted by nomis at 4:38 PM on May 23, 2006
posted by nomis at 4:38 PM on May 23, 2006
This thread is closed to new comments.
And the vagina isn't particularly hospitable. So I'm sure your kleenex or whatever isn't killing them.
posted by maledictory at 8:59 PM on May 22, 2006