How Many Sperms are Formed by 4 Primary Spermatocytes

Introduction

Spermatogenesis is the process by which haploid spermatozoa are formed from germ cells in the seminiferous tubules of the testis. The process begins with the mitotic division of stem cells located near the basement membrane of the tubules. These divisions produce two types of cells, type A cells which replenish the stem cells and type B cells that differentiate into primary spermatocytes. The transformation of spermatids into spermatozoa is known as spermiogenesis. This process is crucial for the production of male reproductive cells and the continuation of the species.

It develops into mature spermatozoa, which are also known as sperm cells. As the primary spermatocyte, it gives two cells, the secondary spermatocytes by their subdivisions as it produces four spermatozoa and four haploid cells.

As the spermatogonia, it divides mitotically, and some of them undergo two rounds of mitosis, each forming 4 primary spermatocytes, each of which undergoes meiosis to produce 2 haploid secondary spermatocytes. Each secondary spermatocyte then undergoes mitosis to produce 2 spermatids, which eventually become 2 sperm. Each primary spermatocyte, thus, produces 4 sperms. Hence 4 primary spermatocytes would produce 16 sperm.

Purpose

Spermatogenesis is the process that produces mature male reproductive cells, commonly known as spermatozoa. These cells are responsible for fertilizing the female gamete, the oocyte, during conception, which results in the formation of a single individual known as a zygote. This process is the foundation of sexual reproduction, where both gametes contribute half of the normal set of chromosomes, resulting in a chromosomally normal zygote. The number of chromosomes in the offspring varies from one species to another, as each gamete has half of the typical number of chromosomes found in other body cells. Spermatogenesis is an integral part of reproduction and the continuation of a species.

Period

The entire process of spermatogenesis is estimated as taking 74 days ( according to tritium-labeled biopsies) and is approximately 120 days ( according to DNA clock measurement).

As the testes produce 200- 300 million spermatozoa daily. About half, or 100 million of these become conceivable sperm.

Stages

The whole process of spermatogenesis can be broken up into several distinct stages as here each corresponding to a particular type of cell in humans.

Here below you get the table that shows the cell types and chromosomes in humans, the DNA copy number, and the process. The initial spermatocyte is stopped after DNA synthesis and before the division.

Hormonal Control

It is spermatogenesis that varies among species. In humans, the mechanism is not completely understood, as it is known that the initiation of spermatogenesis occurs at puberty due to the interaction of the hypothalamus, the pituitary gland is removed, the spermatogenesis can still be initiated by follicle-stimulating hormone and testosterone. Luteinizing hormone appears to have little role in spermatogenesis outside of inducing gonadal testosterone production.

Mainly Sertoli cells themselves mediate parts of spermatogenesis through hormone production as they are capable of producing the hormones estradiol and inhibin. Here estrogen is essential for spermatogenesis in animals. A man with estrogen insensitivity syndrome was found to produce sperm with a normal sperm count, albeit abnormally low sperm viability whether he was sterile or not is unclear. Prolactin seems to be important for spermatogenesis.

Conclusion

In the end, you came to know how many sperms are formed by 4 primary spermatocytes, their purpose, time duration, stages, and hormonal control which helps you in understanding the topic easily and efficiently.