Liquefaction Information and Courses from MediaLab, Inc.
These are the MediaLab courses that cover Liquefaction and links to relevant pages within the course.
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| Liquefaction of semen normally takes place within: | View Page |
| Composition of Semen Semen is produced as a combination of secretions from the different regions of the male reproductive tract. Each fraction differs in chemical composition and function. The combination of these fractions during ejaculation results in the optimal environment for transporting sperm to the endocervical mucus in the female. Spermatozoa are produced in the testes. They mature in the epididymis. The testes also produce testosterone and inhibin.Fluid from the seminal vesicles accounts for approximately 70% of semen volume. The seminal vesicles are the source of fructose in semen. Fructose is used by the spermatozoa as an energy source.The prostate gland supplies about 20% of the volume of semen. Its fluids include acid phosphatase and proteolytic enzymes that lead to coagulation and subsequent liquefaction of semen. The prostate also contains most of the IgA found in semen.The bulbourethral gland produces mucoproteins that make up about 5% of the volume of semen. | View Page |
| Liquefaction of the specimen always occurs immediately after ejaculation. | View Page |
| Viscosity Most semen is somewhat viscous. Liquefaction should be complete before viscosity is assessed.
Semen viscosity can be determined by trying to draw the specimen into a wide bore pipette. Normal semen can be dropped from a pipette in single droplets. Some laboratories report viscosity on a scale from 0-4. Others report the results as "non-viscous", "slightly viscous", "very viscous" and so forth.
A specimen that is more viscous than normal after liquefaction may have reduced sperm motility. During sexual intercourse, hyperviscosity can prevent the sperm from reaching the cervix. | View Page |
| Summary of macroscopic evaluation In summary, the macroscopic examination of semen can provide important information. Changes in semen liquefaction parameters, viscosity, volume, pH may provide clues to the clinician about causes of infertility or abnormalities of the reproductive tract. | View Page |
| Liquefaction Immediately following ejaculation, semen is in a gel-like condition.Liquefaction, or resolution of the gel-like consistency, is expected within 15 minutes. If liquefaction does not occur within 60 minutes you should note this on the report sheet.Occasionally a specimen does not liquefy. If this occurs, mechanical mixing or enzyme treatment may be necessary in order for the sperm count, motility analysis and other microscopic aspects of semen analysis to be performed. | View Page |
| Diluting a specimen for counting on a hemacytometer Following liquefaction (20-30 minutes), mix the sample manually by swirling the container several times. Thorough mixing is essential for accurate counting. Calibrated automatic pipettes are used to prepare a dilution. Because of the viscosity of semen, the semen should be added to the diluent using a positive pressure pipettor.
The dilution often used for routine sperm counts is 1:20 but the actual dilution factor will vary depending on the total sperm count. For high concentration specimens a greater dilution will be necessary. For low concentrations an undiluted or minimally diluted specimen may be required. The appropriate dilution is determined by estimating the concentration needed to do a count of at least 100 cells per side of the loaded hemacytometer.
The diluent that may be used for sperm counts on a hemacytometer can be as follows: 5 gm of sodium bicarbonate in 100 ml of distilled water, plus 1ml of formalin (neutral). | View Page |
| Which of the following is NOT part of the microscopic examination performed on semen? | View Page |