Spermatogenesis, the process of forming sperm cells in male testes

Sperm and semen are two different substances or substances. Sperm cells are part of semen that can usually only be seen using a microscope. Meanwhile, semen is a thick, whitish liquid secreted by the penis. The sperm in the semen will meet the egg (ovum) to form a zygote, the embryo of the fetus. Before becoming a sperm cell that is ready to fertilize an egg, it takes a long time for the sperm to be produced by the testes. The process of forming sperm cells in the testes is called spermatogenesis.

Understand the process of spermatogenesis

Spermatogenesis is the process of forming sperm cells in the male testes. Spermatogenesis itself comes from the word "spermato" which means seed and "genesis" which means division.

Sperm cells are produced in the seminiferous tubules in the testes. Within the tubule wall, many cells are scattered randomly, which are called Sertoli cells. These cells function to provide food for immature sperm cells.

When the sperm cells have matured (spermatogonia), the spermatogonia (sperm stem cells) multiply by mitosis and meiosis.

From the spermatogonia, sperm cells will turn into primary spermatocytes by mitosis. Thereafter, primary spermatocytes divide by meiosis into secondary spermatocytes of the same size.

Through the second stage of meiosis, the secondary spermatocytes divide again into four spermatids of the same shape and size. Spermatids are the final stage before they turn into mature sperm cells (spermatozoa) and are ready to be released along with semen when a man ejaculates.

One immature seed cell takes up to 74 days to reach final maturity. During the process of spermatogenesis, more than 300 million spermatozoa will be produced every day. Unfortunately, of that number, there are only about 100 million sperm cells that manage to mature completely in the final process.

Sperm cells are very small

Mature sperm has an oval, flat head and a wavy tail. Sperm cannot be seen with the naked eye because these cells are very small, which is about 0.05 millimeters from head to tail.

The head of the sperm has chromosomes and also has a body structure called the acrosome. The acrosome contains hyaluronidase and proteinase enzymes, both of which function to penetrate the egg cell layer. In the center of the acrosome are small mitochondria that provide energy to move the sperm's tail.

Improve the quality of your sperm with a healthy lifestyle

Healthy sperm is the key to male fertility. If you and your partner are planning to have a baby, changing your lifestyle to be healthier is the main recipe.

So, it is not only age that affects male fertility, because the fact is that your lifestyle can also determine the success of the pregnancy program that you and your partner are planning.

Here are some healthy lifestyle changes you can make to improve sperm quality.

1. Watch your food intake

Did you know that the food you consume on a daily basis can affect sperm quality? Yes, one of the factors that can affect the quality of a man's sperm is food intake. Nutrients in food play an important role in improving sperm quality, thereby helping sperm to move and fertilize.

Therefore, it is important for you to ensure that the food you eat every day contains nutrition and balanced nutrition. Apart from being healthier and fitter, some sperm fertility foods, such as green vegetables, seafood, and whole grains which are rich in nutrients also help improve sperm quality and male sexual arousal.

If your body is healthy, your sexual desire and sperm quality are also good. That way, your fertility rate will increase. This means, the chances of the success of the pregnancy program that you and your partner are planning can be greater.

2. Stop smoking

Smoking is an unhealthy habit that has many negative effects on the body. One of the things that might happen is to interfere with fertility.

Several studies have stated that men who are active smokers have a high risk of experiencing impotence. In addition, the quality and quantity of sperm in men who smoked were also known to be worse than nonsmokers.

One such study, published by BMC Public Health, concluded that smoking has an effect on lower sperm counts and an increase in the number of morphological defects of spermatozoa. This certainly affects the level of male fertility.

That is why, if you want to have children, try to quit smoking right now. Even if it's not easy, this doesn't mean you can't do it at all, right?

If necessary, don't hesitate to ask for support from those closest to you so that your efforts to quit smoking can run smoothly and optimally.

3. Be diligent in exercising

Obesity eyebrow obesity can interfere with the quality and quantity of sperm, both from the shape and movement that is not good. That's why maintaining ideal body weight is also one of the healthy life changes that you need to make.

Well, one way to control your body weight optimally is by exercising regularly. Furthermore, exercise can also make your body fitter as well as reduce your stress levels.

Low stress levels can lead to feelings of pleasure and positive thoughts in you. This is certainly good for the success of the pregnancy program with your partner.

You don't need to do sports with high intensity. Choose the type of exercise that suits your health condition and that you like. Most importantly, get your body moving every day.

4. Take care of your reproductive organs

Maintaining testicular temperature is another way to improve sperm quality. The reason is, according to several studies, heat can damage sperm.

You can prevent sperm damage by maintaining a normal body temperature and avoiding bad habits, such as soaking in hot water, wearing tight pants, putting a laptop on your thigh, or sitting too long.

Although you may not feel the effect immediately, the high temperature around the scrotum and testes can reduce sperm quality so that sperm production is hampered.

5. Practice healthy sex with a partner

You also need to clean the penis before and after sex to have safe and healthy sex. This is because sexual activity is one of the biggest sources of spreading infection.

If you want to use a tool, like sex toy , wash it thoroughly every time you want to have sex.

Avoid changing partners during sexual intercourse to avoid the risk of sexually transmitted diseases. In addition, you should not have sex while drunk as this can actually lead to risky behavior.