Sperm in the Female Tract - Anatomy & Physiology
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Overview
- There is immediate retrograde loss at the entrance to the cervix/uterus with phagocytosis by leukocytes.
- In the cervix, sperm must travel through privileged pathways. This serves to eliminate non-motile sprem and remove some abnormalities.
- In the Uterus, capacitation is initiated with some phagocytosis occuring.
- In the Oviduct, capacitation is completed and sperm show hyperactive motility.
- At the Uterotubal Junction, the acrosome reaction occurs and the spermatozoon penetrated the oocyte in fertilization with the formation of male and female pronuclei.