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Transport of Spermatozoa in the Female Genital Tract

  • Chapter
Introduction to Mammalian Reproduction

Abstract

Millions of spermatozoa are inseminated into the mammalian female genital tract in order to fertilize only one or a few oocytes. The movement of spermatozoa through the female genital tract is actually regulated by the female so that a few reach the oocyte in the oviduct (fallopian tube) and only one of them succeeds in fertilizing it. This is accomplished by placing filters and traps in the path of the spermatozoa and by switching the way in which the tails of the spermatozoa beat. In this chapter, the way in which movement of spermatozoa into and through each female reproductive organ is regulated will be discussed.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Cornell University, Ithaca, N.Y., USA

    Susan S. Suarez

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  1. Susan S. Suarez
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Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Departments of Obstetrics & Gynecology and Cell Biology, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, Tennessee, USA

    Daulat R. P. Tulsiani Ph.D.

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Suarez, S.S. (2003). Transport of Spermatozoa in the Female Genital Tract. In: Tulsiani, D.R.P. (eds) Introduction to Mammalian Reproduction. Springer, Boston, MA. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4615-0273-9_13

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4615-0273-9_13

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Boston, MA

  • Print ISBN: 978-1-4613-4998-3

  • Online ISBN: 978-1-4615-0273-9

  • eBook Packages: Springer Book Archive

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