Do You Swallow Semen?
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“Do you swallow?” my friend asked me over beer and amidst the noise of a rowdy Bassilica crowd. My answer in a future post, abangan! Meanwhile, it’s time for a little bit of sex education. And the topic for today is: “What is Semen made of?” Semen, cum, or tamod in Tagalog, is the magical fluid that is the fruit of our labor when we orgasm. Here’s a very informative piece on the topic.
The production of semen marks the beginning of puberty for boys — a time when the body begins to grow and develop rapidly — especially the sexual organs. Ejaculations (orgasms accompanied by semen) usually begin around 12 or 13 years of age. What exactly comprises this pearly-white liquid called semen?
While we sometimes refer to semen as “sperm,” sperm cells (spermatozoa) actually constitute only about 10% of our total ejaculate. That 10% contains from 200 million to 500 million sperm cells, though the figure can be higher for younger males due to the pubescent production of androgen hormones, such as testosterone, which also trigger the growth body hair and the lowering of the voice. (Remember: It takes only one sperm cell to fertilize an egg and make a baby.)
The remaining 90% is referred to as seminal plasma. (Plasma is defined as a fluid that carries a suspended solid, whether it’s blood “fluid” carrying blood cells, or semen carrying sperm.) Composition of seminal plasma varies among individuals, and even in the same individual from time to time. It contains some 30 substances (many in minute quantities); some are produced by different parts of our male anatomy, and some are by-products of body functions. They include:
• ascorbic acid (vitamin C, for tissue maintenance) - hmmm, nutritious!
• blood-group antigens (from immune system)
• calcium (mineral)
• chlorine (oxidizing agent) - kaya pala!
• cholesterol (steroid alcohol present in body fluids)
• choline (base, part of the vitamin B complex)
• citric acid (occurs during cellular metabolism)
• creatine (nitrogenous substance found in muscle)
• deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA)
• fructose (sugar used for energy)
• glutathione (peptide amino acid)
• hyaluronidase (enzyme)
• inositol (sugar found in muscles)
• lactic acid (byproduct of muscle use)
• magnesium (mineral)
• nitrogen (gas found in all living tissue)
• phosporus (mineral)
• potassium (mineral)
• purine (compound of uric acid)
• pyrimidine (organic base)
• pyruvic acid (formed from either glucose or glycogen)
• sodium (salt)
• sorbitol (body alcohol)
• spermidine (catalytic enzyme)
• spermine (ammonia compound found in sperm)
• urea (from urine)
• uric acid (from urine)
• vitamin B12 (for proper function of nervous system and metabolism)
• zinc (mineral)
(Article written by Fred Guerra, complete text at JackinWorld Science Corner.)
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