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What Does Semen Consist Of?

Posted on Mon, 19 Oct 2015

Question: Hello doctors. I did some semen samples and the sperm looked fine and plenty of them but I noticed these tiny things swimming around that were way smaller than sperm. There seemed to be a lot of them. But you cant really tell cause there so small and they tend to travel together I noticed where theres one there is several others there. What are these. They look like the tip of a pen through a microscope

Answered by Dr. Dr. Chintan Solanki (6 hours later)

Brief Answer:
those can be epithelial cells, debris in saline or immature sperms

Detailed Answer:
Hello,

Thanks for writing to us.

Tiny smaller tiny things can be epithelial cells, debris in saline or immature sperms and these are normal. Other substances in semen can be pus cell or red blood cells but they are not so tiny. And possibility of microorganism cannot be ruled out.
For more specified comment please upload the photographs with marking of those tiny substances about which you are asking.

I will be happy to help further.

Regards,

Dr.Chintan Solanki.

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Prasad

Follow up: Dr. Dr. Chintan Solanki (20 minutes later)

YouTube contaminated lymphatic endothelial cell culture. This is what they look like maybe a little smaller.

Answered by Dr. Dr. Chintan Solanki (21 minutes later)

Brief Answer:
yes it can be endothelial cells

Detailed Answer:
Hi,

Yes it can be endothelial cells. I can give more confirm answer after seeing images.

All the best.

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Prasad

Follow up: Dr. Dr. Chintan Solanki (12 minutes later)

Thank you one last question. What happens to the semen that is stuck in the penis after 10 hours or so?

Answered by Dr. Dr. Chintan Solanki (4 hours later)

Brief Answer:
In general it flushes out with urine

Detailed Answer:
Hi,

Thanks for new question.

Normally when ejaculated semen reaches to urethra but does not come out is flushed out with urine. During 10 hours a normal man goes to urinate at least once.

In any case if semen remains there and act of masturbation/sex is done before urination it may come out during the same. However viability of sperms is questionable. In urethra due to acidic pH sperms do not remain alive for more than 4-6 hours according to some reports. Individual variation is likely there.

All the best.

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Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Prasad