In a model of the cow reproductive tract, sperm from bulls clump together in groups of two to four cells, according to a study published in the journal Frontiers in Cell and Developmental Biology. This seems to help them swim upstream. Scientists point out that swimming in groups can help sperm make their way up the thick reproductive tract and uterine mucus, which tends to wash away sperm that swim alone. The researchers injected 100 million fresh bull sperm into a silicone tube with a fluid similar to a cow’s cervical and uterine mucus — the consistency of melted cheese. They then used a syringe pump to create two flow rates. When the mucus is not flowing, aggregated sperm swim in straighter lines than single sperm. At moderate flow rates, groups of spermatozoa can travel upstream, while individual spermatozoa cannot. When the fluid flow is strong, aggregated sperm can pass through the oncoming mucus better than single sperm, which are usually washed away.
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