Semen analysis

DR NILESH KATE
MBBS,MD
PROFESSOR
ESIC MEDICAL COLLEGE, GULBARGA.
DEPT. OF PHYSIOLOGY
SEMEN
ANALYSIS.

OBJECTIVES
 Importance of semen analysis in clinical
practice
 Indications
 Composition of normal semen
 Morphology & motility of sperm
 Applied .
Friday, June 19, 2020

Semen analysis.
 Imp for evaluation of
male fertility.
 Also done after
vasectomy to check
completeness of
surgical procedure.

Semen – features.
 Volume – 2-5 ml per ejaculation.
 Motility - > 60% should be motile within 3
hrs.
 Count – 35-200 millions /ml
 Liquefaction – Liquify within 30 min.

Semen – features.
 pH – 7.2-7.7
 Fructose – normally present.
 Specific gravity – 1.028

Principle
 Analysis of freshly collected sample of semen
gives information about male fertility, which
is detected by examining the sample under
the microscope.

Requirements
 Microscope
 Viscometer
 Neubauer’s chamber
 WBC pipette
 Sample of semen.

Procedure
 After a period of sexual abstinence of 2 days.
 Sample is collected.
 Semen analysis done after 30 min.

Why after 30 min.
 Immediately after collection semen
coagulates & liquifies after 15-20 min.
 Semen contains fibrinogen which gets
converted to fibrin & coagulates the sample.

Measurement of other
parameters
 Measure the volume.
 Examine motility & morphology under low
power then high power.

Sperm count
 Pipetteing
 Collect the seminal
fluid upto 0.5 mark in
WBC pipette.
 Dilute upto 11 mark
by using 4% sodium
bicarbonate in 1%
phenol.
 Count in WBC square.

Precautions
 Sample collection should be after 48 hrs of
abstinence.
 Sample should be analysed 30 min after
collection.
 Analysis should be done within 6 hrs of
collection.

Observations
 Volume
 Appearance
 Motility
 Count
 Liquefaction
 Morphology
 pH
 Fructose content.

Volume
 2-5 ml per ejaculation
after abstinence of 2
days.
 Volume of semen
decreases with
repeated ejaculations.

Appearance
 Mostly milky due to
prostatic secretions.

Motility
 Within first 3 hrs, 60%
sperm should show
motility in forward
direction.
 < 60% - subnormal
 <40% - infertility.

Count
 35- 200 millions /ml
 Between 20-40
millions/ml –
infertility.
 <20% - sterility.

Liquefaction
 Liquify within 30 min.
 Cause – Plasmin in prostatic fluid.
 Delayed for more than 2 hrs –
inflammation of accessory glands or enzyme
defect in secretory products of glands

Liquefaction.
 Semen when ejaculated
is liquid but it soon
coagulates in vitro or in
vagina.
 This clotting helps
semen to remain in
vagina for some time.
 Liquefaction after 30
min releases sperm for
movements.

Morphology.
 >70% - should have
normal morphology.
 Abnormality > 30 % -
pathology.
 Abnormalities – shape,
defective head, tail,
bifurcated tail, bifid
head, spirally coiled
tail, absence of head.

pH
 Normal - 7.2-7.7
 The alkalinity is due to the prostatic secretions.
 Below 7 – semen contains prostatic fluid which
may be due to congenital absence of seminal
vesicle or excessive prostatic fluid.

Significance of alkaline pH.
 The alkaline semen brings the vaginal pH
from 3.5–4 to 6–6.5, the pH at which sperms
show optimum motility.

Fructose content.
 Normally present.
 Absent in –
 Absence or obstruction of ejaculatory ducts or
seminal vesicle.

Secretions of seminal vesicles
 The secretion from seminal vesicles is mucoid
and viscous fluid.
 It is neutral or slightly alkaline in nature.
 It contains fructose, phosphorylcholine,
ergothioneine, ascorbic acid, flavins and
prostaglandins.

Functions
 Nutrition to sperms
 Clotting of semen soon after ejaculation into
the female genital tract occurs due to
fibrinogen
 Fertilization of ovum may be enhanced by
the prostaglandins

Secretion of prostate gland
 Forms 10% of total semen.
 Functions –
 Maintenance of optimum pH for fertilization
(6–6.5)
 Clotting of semen by converting fibrinogen
(from seminal vesicles) into a coagulum is
caused by the clotting enzymes present in
the prostatic fluid.

Secretion of bulbourethral gland.
 Provide mucoid consistency to the semen
after puberty.

Semen analysis

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