How to use Sperm in a sentence

I would insist the father be nothing but a sperm donor.

Spermatheca or receptacle of the sperm in copulation, opening into the female duct.

Sperm sacs generally occupying a good many segments and with simple interior undivided by a network of trabeculae.

About 1750 sperm candles were first manufactured.

Sperm ducts traverse several segments on their way to exterior.

There is no possibility that sperm and ova can escape by these tubes not in company with coelomic fluid.

Drift whales were utilized in the earliest years of the colony, and shore boating for the baleen (or " right ") whale - rich in bone and in blubber yielding common oil - was an industry already regulated by various towns before 1650; but the pursuit of the sperm whale did not begin until about 1713.

Spermatheca rarely with diverticula; sperm ducts as a rule occupying two segments only, usually opening by means of an atrium.

In 1712 a Nantucket whaler, Christopher Hussey, blown out to sea, killed some sperm whales and thus introduced the sperm-oil industry and put an end to the period in which only driftand shoreor boat-whaling had been carried on - the shore fishery died out about 1760.

Insemination takes place either by the introduction of the penis into the cloaca of the female, or by the puncture of the bodywall of the female by the penis, and the injection of the sperm into the body cavity, whence the single spermatozoa must make their way to the eggs.

Now such a gametic (egg or sperm) constitution can only result when two individuals, all or some of whose gametes are pure with regard to the character albinism, meet in fertilization.

The Cetacea, which frequent these southern waters, are represented by four species - two dolphins and the sperm and right whale - and the Phocidae by six species, one of which (Phoca lupina) differs but little from the common seal.

The process by which the chromosomes divide during the production of egg and sperm cells is termed meiosis.

Once the sperm meets the egg, an explosion of changes ensue.

Special sacs developed from the intersegmental septa lodge the developing ova and sperm.

In the majority of the Megascolicidae each sac is provided with one or more diverticula, tubular or oval in form, of a slightly different histological character in the lining epithelium, and in them is invariably lodged the sperm.

The male duct vd becomes fleshy and muscular near its termination at the genital pore, forming the penis p. Attached to it is a diverticulum fl, in which the spermatozoa which have descended from the ovo-testis are stored and modelled into sperm ropes or spermatophores.

These are called androgens and control the changes that occur during puberty as well as the production of sperm and the menstrual cycle.

He is in the position of a sperm donor who has not been guaranteed anonymity in law!

Doctors remove eggs from the woman's body and fertilize them with sperm in the laboratory - hence the term ' test-tube baby ' .

He was subsequently told by the Hospital, that his sperm counts were negative.

Other species seen, tho less regularly, in recent years include white-sided dolphin, common dolphin, sperm whale and pilot whale.

The Department of Health today launched a new campaign to raise public awareness about the need for egg and sperm donation.

Reduced sperm function was noted in male rats at high oral doses.

Semen Fluid containing sperm, which is released from the penis by the male by a process called ejaculation.

In vitro fertilization studies will also be conducted using gametes recovered post-mortem to investigate the rate of fertilization by competing sperm.

It wouldn't be long before males started storing sperm, in little globs around the outer edge of their property.

Sources include bacteriophage lambda, salmon sperm and even cloned human DNA.

G Gametes - Mature reproductive cells, sperm or ova in humans produced by meiosis.

To equate the removal from the woman's body and reintroduction of sperm with the removal and reintroduction of ova seems mistaken.

Low sperm count, poor motility, or abnormal morphology of sperm can make it very difficult to conceive using your partners sperm.

In men, smoking levels affect spermatogenesis (sperm development ), sperm morphology (abnormality) and sperm mobility.

There is a count of 30 million sperm per ml and 33% are motile total motile total motile count is 10 million.

It also thickens the mucus around the cervix, which makes it difficult for sperm to get into the womb.

Fathers are now obsolete, nothing more than mobile sperm donors creating new drones for the States new consumer class.

The prostate produces a thick, white fluid called semen that mixes with the sperm when it is ejaculated in male orgasm.

It lowers sperm counts in men, suppress ovulation in women and can be a trigger for schizophrenia and various forms of psychosis.

Humans cannot reproduce using only male sperm or only female ovum.

According to Maharishi Ayurveda, conception takes place due to healthy sperm, healthy ovum, and a healthy uterus.

For example, the fertilization of an egg by a sperm to produce a progeny with a unique identity.

Using a fine needle, the DNA is injected into the large male pronucleus, which is derived from the sperm.

The production of gametes, be they sperm in males or eggs in females, requires major changes in the mechanism of chromosome segregation.

The prostate gland produces semen, the fluid that transports sperm from a man's body during orgasm.

In April 2005, the law surrounding donating sperm, eggs or embryos was changed.

Under these Special Directions, every time a licensed clinic wishes to import sperm into the UK, they must apply to the HFEA.

Men may be unable to produce sperm for a variety of reasons.

If the egg is not fertilized by sperm, it dies and the egg and uterus lining are shed as a period.

The time to conception was inversely related to the number of motile sperm seen.

One idea would be to inject frozen mammoth sperm recovered from the ice into the eggs of female elephants.

They found that abnormal sperm was more often found in the men with epilepsy.

Those cells went on to develop into mature, functional sperm.

She said the couple had considered buying fresh sperm over the Internet, or adopting.

March 9, 2003 A Pygmy sperm whale died Saturday night after beaching itself near the Holiday Inn on Ocean Drive.

We maintain a donor sperm bank of the highest quality.

Mrs A consented to her eggs being used and mixed with her husband's sperm but not with named or anonymous donated sperm.

The assumption is that smoking causes cancer in children by damaging their father's sperm.

The waters around Mull and Iona are a sealife playground and, if very lucky, you may even spot a sperm whale.

Whales with teeth include the sperm whale, which grows up to 18 meters long and can weigh up to 50 tons.

Sperm whale off North Grampian coast A solitary sperm whale off North Grampian coast A solitary sperm whale was seen off Kinnaird Head, Fraserburgh on the afternoon of 29th August.

The second most frequently encountered toothed whale was the deep-diving sperm whale.

Lost whales For 10 days a pod of five sperm whales has been trapped in the North Sea, seeking a way out.

We'll also be on the lookout for fin, sperm, humpback and sei whales as well as several other seal species.

One of the sperm fuses with egg to form a single cell called a zygote, which then starts dividing and becomes an embryo.

These structures appear to be absolutely distinctive of the Oligochaeta, unless the sacs which contain sperm and open in common with the nephridia of Saccocirrus (see Haplodrili) are similar.

Even on whaling vessels, where up to recently whale oil, seal oil and sperm oil (see Waxes, below) were obtained exclusively by "trying," i.e.

The sperm oils are generally sold in the same markets as the fish and blubber oils (see above).

The prostate gland produces semen, the fluid that transports sperm from a man 's body during orgasm.

The gland produces seminal fluid, which is mixed with sperm to make semen.

In a controlled trial, 100 men with low sperm motility received either 57 mg of zinc twice daily or a placebo.

There has also been a fall in sperm counts over the same time period.

Title Female age is an important parameter to predict treatment outcome in intracytoplasmic sperm injection.

Actually, the only time I 've ever seen an Ann Summers catalog is the time I went to give a sperm donation.

March 9, 2003 A pygmy sperm whale died Saturday night after beaching itself near the Holiday Inn on Ocean Drive.

Mrs A consented to her eggs being used and mixed with her husband 's sperm but not with named or anonymous donated sperm.

The assumption is that smoking causes cancer in children by damaging their father 's sperm.

Waxy oil derived from the sperm whale 's head or from dolphins.

Sperm whale off North Grampian coast A solitary sperm whale was seen off Kinnaird Head, Fraserburgh on the afternoon of 29th August.

The HFEA also regulates the storage of gametes (eggs and sperm) and embryos.

Old sperm whale cows have been observed still suckling calves of 10 years old.

Embryos are created in a test tube from the mothers eggs and the fathers sperm.

In men, FSH stimulates the testes to produce mature sperm.

Total RNAs from testes tissues and sperm samples were extracted and applied to microarray experiments (Agilent Human Oligo 1A).

Sperm washing is only available on a limited basis in the UK.

Egg Donation-You may be able to receive an egg from a donor which will then be fertilized with your partner's sperm.

Infertility. With options such as sperm banks and surrogate mothers, many people wonder why someone would choose to adopt.

A fraternal twin set is made when a woman releases two eggs, and each egg is fertilized by its own sperm (unlike identical twins, where one egg splits into two).

It may take up to 48 hours for the sperm to reach and fertilize the eggs.

The FSH hormone begins the process of sperm production in boys, and activates the ovaries and estrogen production in girls.

Boys begin to produce testosterone when these hormones travel to the testes, in a process that creates sperm.

When doctors diagnosed Armstrong with testicular cancer, he and his then wife knew they still wanted a family, so the decided to store his sperm in order to get pregnant later by artificial insemination.

If so, can the sperm live long enough to impregnate the bitch?

Sperm are viable up to five days after a breeding.

Meanwhile, your bitch is sending down multiple eggs once the fertile period begins, so it all depends on whose sperm made it first to any given egg.

Age is not the only factor that affects sperm production.

Anyone considering using an older stud on one of their bitches can take the dog, or request that the stud owner take the dog, to the vet for a sperm count prior to breeding.

Without this action, the sperm wouldn't have a chance of reaching the eggs.

When you figure in the fact that the sperm can survive in the canal for a few days, some eggs could actually have been fertilized a day or more after the final breeding.

Since the male's sperm can live up to a week after delivery, breeding as soon as ovulation begins increases the chance that each ripened egg will become fertilized.

Sometimes it takes several days for the sperm to meet the eggs.

Maternal inheritance. mtDNA is only passed from mother to child because the mitochondria of a sperm is located in the sperm's tail, which is not involved in conception.

Fraternal twins develop from two separate ova released at the same time and fertilized by two separate sperm.

Zygote-The result of the sperm successfully fertilizing the ovum.

During sperm and egg production, however, these two copies separate, so that each sperm or egg contains only one copy of each gene.

When sperm and egg unite, the newly created cell once again has two copies of each gene.

Some 98 percent of men with CF are sterile, due to complete obstruction or absence of the vas deferens (the tube carrying sperm out of the testes).

While boys and men with CF form normal sperm and have normal levels of sex hormones, sperm are unable to leave the testes, and fertilization is not possible.

Although most men with CF are functionally sterile, new procedures for removing sperm from the testes are being tried and may offer more men the chance to become fathers.

Follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH)-A pituitary hormone that in females stimulates the ovary to mature egg capsules (follicles) and in males stimulates sperm production.

The condom is a barrier that prevents sperm from entering a woman's uterus.

Spermicide is a pharmaceutical substance used to kill sperm, especially in conjunction with a birth-control device such as a condom or diaphragm.

Contraceptive-A device or medication designed to prevent pregnancy by either suppressing ovulation, preventing sperm from passing through the cervix to fertilize an egg, or preventing implantation of a fertilized egg.

Spermicide-A substance that kills sperm.

The sperm cannot reach the egg, and the egg cannot travel to the uterus.

In vasectomy, the vas defrens, the tiny tubes that carry the sperm into the semen, are cut and tied off.

After an egg is released from the ovary during ovulation, fertilization (the union of sperm and egg) normally occurs in the fallopian tubes.

Mitochondrial myopathies are inherited only through the mother, since sperm do not contain mitochondria.

Around mid-adolescence internal changes begin making a boy capable of producing and ejaculating sperm.

Cells of the body, with the exception of the egg and sperm cells, contain 23 pairs of chromosomes.

All of the cells of the body excluding the egg and the sperm cells are called the somatic cells.

Each egg and sperm cell contains only one copy of chromosome and, therefore, only one copy of the RB1 gene.

In other cases, one parent has two normal RB1 genes in every somatic cell, but some egg or sperm cells contain a changed or missing RB1 gene.

Occasionally the gene change/deletion occurred spontaneously in the original cell that was formed when the egg and sperm came together at conception (de novo).

Offspring would be at increased risk since some of the egg or sperm cells could have the changed/deleted RB1 gene.

Sometimes a child may end up with more than 46 chromosomes because of problems with the father's sperm or the mother's egg or because of mutations that occurred after the sperm and the egg fused to form the embryo (conception).

An extra copy of a particular chromosome can come either from the egg or sperm or from mutations that occur after conception.

This occurs as a result of a spontaneous mutation of the gene in either the sperm or egg.

Instead of mutation occurring in an individual sperm or egg, it occurs in a percentage of the cells that give rise to a parent's multiple sperm or eggs.

Conception-The union of egg and sperm to form a fetus.

In boys, the condition triggers the development of a large penis and testicles, with spontaneous erections and the production of sperm.

If the ovum is fertilized by a sperm at this time, pregnancy occurs.

However, if a sperm does not fertilize the egg, the body no longer needs the uterine lining to support the fertilized egg.

Gonads-Organs that produce gametes (eggs or sperm), i.e., the ovaries and testes.

Occasionally, a genetic error occurs during egg or sperm cell formation.

A child conceived with such an egg or sperm cell may inherit an incorrect number of chromosomes.

By mid-puberty, boys with Klinefelter syndrome have low levels of testosterone, resulting in small testicles and the inability to make sperm.

Normally, FSH and LH help the immature sperm cells grown and develop.

In Klinefelter syndrome, there are few or no sperm cells.

The increased amount of FSH and LH cause hyalinization and fibrosis, the growth of excess fibrous tissue, in the seminiferous tubules, where the sperm are normally located.

With rare exception, men with Klinefelter syndrome are infertile because they cannot make sperm.

Sperm must travel through the reproductive track to fertilize the egg in the fallopian tube.

In addition, birth control pills thicken mucus in the woman's body through which the sperm has to swim.

Thus it is more difficult for the sperm to reach the egg.

Conception occurs when the female egg (ovum) is fertilized by a the male sperm.

For fertilization to occur, a sperm must penetrate the tough outer membrane of the egg called the zona pellucida.

When one sperm successfully binds with the zona pellucida, a series of chemical reactions occurs to allow only that sperm to penetrate.

Fertilization occurs when the sperm successfully enters the ovum's membrane.

The genetic material of the sperm and egg then combine to form a single cell called a zygote and the germinal stage of prenatal development commences.

Gonads-Organs that produce gametes (eggs or sperm), i.e. the ovaries and testes.

In males, seminal fluid and sperm also pass through the urethra.

Most trisomies occur because of improper division of the chromosomes during formation of eggs or sperm.

An autosomal dominant form of VWD can be inherited from either parent or can occur as a spontaneous gene mutation (change) in the embryo that is formed when the egg and sperm cells come together during fertilization.

Hypogonadism is the condition in which the production of sex hormones and germ cells (sperm and eggs) is inadequate.

Along with producing eggs and sperm, they produce sex hormones that generate all the differences between men and women.

Male sperm cells contain either an X or a Y; if the sperm with the Y chromosome fertilizes an egg, the baby will be male.

The error that causes the extra Y chromosome can occur in the fertilizing sperm or in the developing embryo.

Most males with XYY syndrome have normal hormones involved in their sperm production.

However, a minority of males with XYY syndrome may have increased amounts of some hormones involved in sperm production.

This may result in infertility due to inadequate sperm production.

Other tests may include a thyroid level; sperm count; prolactin level (milk hormone); blood tests for anemia, chemistries, and iron; and genetic analysis.

A deletion occurs when the genetic material in the chromosomes does not recombine properly during the formation of sperm or egg cells.

Often, the genetic material is missing due to an error in replication of an egg or sperm cell.

When a baby is conceived by combining one sperm cell with one egg cell, the baby receives 23 chromosomes from each parent, for a total of 46 chromosomes.

Sometimes, an accident in the production of a sperm or egg cell causes that cell to contain 24 chromosomes.

In a very rare number of Down syndrome cases (about 1-2%), the original egg and sperm cells are completely normal.

Less than 25 percent of Down syndrome cases occur due to an extra chromosome in the sperm cell.

A child receives 23 chromosomes from the egg and 23 chromosomes from the sperm.

However, some genes work differently depending on if they were inherited from the egg or the sperm.

The genes are silenced depending on whether they are inherited through the egg or the sperm.

If the egg is fertilized by a man's sperm, it will implant in the uterus and begin to grow into a baby.

Assuming a woman is healthy and ovulating, and assuming her prospective mate has healthy sperm, and assuming they have regular sexual intercourse, it is sometimes rather hard for her not to get pregnant!

Excessive exercise can also hinder conception by reducing sperm count in men, and affecting the ovulation cycle in women.

It's because sperm are very sensitive to heat!

The testicles are located outside of the body so the sperm can stay cooler.

Researchers have discovered that some men have a greater number of healthy sperm if they wear loose-fitting boxers rather than tight-fitting briefs.

With any luck, this week will end with the meeting of egg and sperm.

When you ovulate, likely toward the end of this week, the egg will be released into the fallopian tube to wait for your significant other's sperm.

Additionally, more blood is flowing to your uterus, and the angle of your cervix changes to make it easier for sperm to enter and fertilize your egg.

The pills also thicken a woman's cervical mucus, making it more difficult for sperm to reach an egg in the event that ovulation does occur.

The mini-pills also work by preventing ovulation and making the cervical mucus less hospitable to sperm.

In a normal pregnancy, the egg is fertilized by a man's sperm and then implants in the woman's uterus, where it develops into a baby.

The vase deferens tubes transport sperm.

If the sperm can not get through the tubes, they can not get into the man's semen to make a woman pregnant.

If no sperm can reach the outside of the man's body, he can not get a woman pregnant.

Also, preventing sperm from being released can cause permanent changes in sperm production.

This means the man may not make enough sperm to get a woman pregnant or may produce sperm which do not work properly.

It's involved in preparing sperm so that it's able to fertilize an egg.

Vasoepididymostomy is done when an obstruction in the vas deferens close to the epididymis, or in the epididymis itself, is stopping sperm from getting through.

In each type of surgery, the doctor will probably take a sample of fluid from the vas deferens to see if sperm are present.

Observing healthy sperm is a clue that the surgery may be successful.

Success rates are lower than for vasovasotomy partly because sperm must be processed in the epididymis in order to be able to fertilize an egg.

If they do not pass through the epididymis in the normal way, sperm may not work normally.

A "second attempt" reversal may be worth trying if the first attempt did not reveal a lot of scar tissue and the doctor was able to detect healthy sperm.

Sperm retrieval may be an option for men who are not able to have successful reversals or who choose not to have the reversal surgery.

It involves using a needle to take sperm directly from the epididymis or the testicle.

The sperm can then be used in one of several types of assisted reproductive techniques.

Instead of having monthly cycles, men produce sperm constantly.

The pill will need to either stop sperm production or make the sperm unable to fertilize an egg.

One type of male birth control pill would use testosterone to interfere with production of sperm.

It helps to maintain a man's sex drive, produces his adult sexual characteristics (like a deep voice and facial hair), and is involved in production of sperm.

However, doctors have discovered that giving a man extra testosterone can signal his brain to shut down sperm production.

Sperm production can also be decreased by giving an artificial version of a hormone called gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH).

Interfering with natural GnRH production can stop a man's body from making sperm.

Another way male birth control might work is by immobilizing sperm.

Sperm cells have long tails which they use to "swim" into a woman's reproductive tract and reach an egg.

If the tails can't move, the sperm can't swim.

It can take weeks or months for the man's sperm count to drop low enough to prevent pregnancy.

If Jennifer Lopez did want to become pregnant this way, using a donor egg and her hubby's sperm would up her chances by an additional 20 percent.

Without hormones, a normal, healthy woman will release an egg once a month, and her uterus will build up a thick, blood-rich lining to receive the egg in case it gets fertilized by a man's sperm.

Plan B stops the release of an egg from the ovary or stops sperm from combining with the egg.

They stop ovulation and cause changes in the uterus so that if an egg is released, it's difficult for a sperm to fertilize it.

Changes in cervical mucus can decrease the chances of sperm reaching the uterus.

Having sex in the missionary or doggie style positions might possibly help sperm reach the egg better, since the penis is pointed in that direction in these positions.

Smoking has been shown to decrease sperm count, so cut that out, too.

If you know that your sperm count is low, have sex every other day instead of every day.

Spermicides kill sperm before they can reach and fertilize an egg.

They prevent sperm from entering a woman's body.

Additionally, they change the cervical mucus and uterine lining to make it harder for the sperm to reach an egg, should one be released.This pill is commonly used as a 28-day cycle pill.

Conception happens when a man's sperm reaches a woman's egg.

When the man ejaculates inside the woman's vagina, his sperm swim up into her uterus and fallopian tubes.

If the woman has recently ovulated, the sperm may connect with an egg.

Sperm can live inside a woman's body for about 72 hours.

Conception always requires a sperm meeting an egg.

If a man ejaculates outside your body but near your vagina, it's possible for the sperm to reach your egg.

The pregnancy begins, of course, with conception, the fertilization of the egg with sperm.

While it cannot be fully determined if utilizing a laptop computer on one's knees and lap decreases sperm quality, count, or production, common sense says there may be some link between male fertility and laptops.

Another study has indicated that a 40 percent decrease in sperm concentration has been recorded as a result of scrotal temperature increasing by 1 to 2 degrees.

Sheynkin explains that sperm production depends on the male body maintaining a regular testicular temperature.

This increases the chances that healthy sperm will be able to reach an egg and fertilize it, resulting in a pregnancy.

It is also important that the male partner have good sperm quality for intrauterine insemination.

If the man's sperm count is too low or there is a problem with the sperm, donor sperm might be used.

Simply put, IUI shortens the distance that sperm needs to travel to reach an egg.

During intercourse, sperm needs to travel through the vagina, past the cervix, into the uterus, and then on to reach the egg that is making its way down the fallopian tubes into the uterus.

Plus, the sperm has to be healthy and still viable by the time it gets there.

When using IUI, healthy sperm is collected ahead of time and washed.

This concentrates the number of sperm available, increasing the likelihood of healthy sperm reaching the egg.

On the day of insemination, the sperm is injected into the uterus using a small catheter.

Quality of sperm or sperm count may decrease or cease to exist.

Men who have fertility issues are advised to have their sperm frozen.

After treatment, couples can then use the banked sperm for in vitro fertilization procedures.

Some couples may also ask a close friend or relative for a sperm donation.

They are then combined with the man's sperm and transferred to the woman.

Since sperm can live in a woman's body for 72 hours and an egg can live for 12-24 hours after ovulation, you have a window of several days when you could conceive.

Male condoms are placed over the penis and prevent body fluids (such as sperm) from coming into contact with another person.

Also, it's not unheard of for a woman to become pregnant if sperm gets too close to the vagina, even without actual prenetration.

According to news reports, Beatie's wife impregnated him using donated sperm and a syringe bought from a veterinarian.

This particular type of vaginal secretion ensures that the sperm has a greater chance of survival on its long journey to meet the egg.Observing vaginal secretions is a complex but highly accurate aid to the timing of peak fertility.

It works by thickening the cervical secretions, which then acts as a barrier against sperm entering the female reproductive tract.

Inconsistencies can also occur when using other methods such as the cap or condom, which can allow sperm to infiltrate the cervix if used incorrectly.

This is always advisable as even the smallest tear in the rubber can allow sperm to travel into the cervix, causing the potential for a pregnancy to occur.

Also, it's not unheard of for a woman to become pregnant if sperm gets too close to the vagina, even without actual penetration.

Some experts suggest that treatments for Candida, which involve the application of cream or a pessary directly into the vagina, may affect the pH of the vaginal canal and can also affect the transportation of sperm along the cervix.

It is believed that having regular intercourse throughout the month will ensure that the sperm produced is not stale and that it is at its optimum level of quality and quantity.

With all of these variables, it is difficult for sperm to fertilize an egg and, if it does, the egg most likely will not implant in the uterus.

In many cases, this includes removing vital tissues, glands, and organs that create sperm.

Both radiation and chemotherapy can stop sperm production.

Unlike men who continue to produce sperm throughout their lives, women do not produce more eggs.

The sperm bank freezes the sperm and keeps it until it is needed.

Spermicidal creams or gels are unnecessary during pregnancy and they are made of chemicals that are effective in killing sperm, but they can also cause irritation in the vaginal region.

The sperm carries either another X or a Y chromosome.

Differences do exist in the speed and longevity of the different sperm.

In fact, sperm with the X chromosomes are viable longer than their male counterparts.

Followers of this method say that having sex prior to the expected ovulation gives time for the male sperm to basically die off, leaving mostly female sperm ready to combine with the egg when it comes out.

When sperm is prepared for intrauterine insemination, it is spun in a centrifuge.

Depending on which direction it is spun in, the X chromosome sperm rises to the top of the test tube.

If a girl is preferred, the fertility specialist can then use that sperm for the procedure.

Each time a couple has intercourse, millions of sperm enter the race to be the first to meet up with the egg.

Since the egg has no gender, it's the sperm's job to combine either a Y or X chromosome with egg's X chromosome to produce a boy (XY) or a girl (XX).

But how do you even begin to figure how to get the male sperm there first?

Male sperm, that which carries the Y chromosome, travels toward the egg faster than the female sperm.

But, they don't have the longevity of the female sperm, so the trick is to get the male sperm to the egg quickly.

This allows the male sperm to speed its way to the egg, while the slower female sperm is just getting started.

Douching is believed to remove sperm from the uterus before they can reach the egg.

Likewise, sperm remains viable for about 72 hours, so a woman who ovulates on the 14th can conceive from sex on the 12th since the sperm will still be viable when ovulation occurs.

But if the egg and sperm don't meet up right away, or if she ovulated a few hours later, she could conceive on the 15th.

They prevent pregnancy by blocking the transport of sperm from the testes to the seminal fluid.

Surgical vasectomies are more than 99 percent effective once semen testing shows a complete absence of sperm.

Vasectomies do not provide immediate pregnancy prevention and it may take several months before sperm are no longer present in the seminal fluid.

Hormonal contraception for men involves the use of synthetic hormones to stop the development of healthy sperm in the testes.

Research into this method of male contraception focuses on blocking the effects of two male hormones--testosterone and gonadotropin--in order to prevent the production of childbearing sperm.

Research into new forms of non-hormonal contraception for men is focusing on the vans deferens, which is the tube cut during a vasectomy to prevent the passing of sperm from the testes to the penis.

One technique, called Reversible Inhibition of Sperm Under Guidance, involves injecting a synthetic gel directly into the vas deferens.

This gel coats the lining of the tube and kills sperm as they pass through.

The tests run between $20-$40 and can test both female hormone levels and sperm quality.

Sperm can live in the reproductive tract of a female for five days and the egg can be fertilized for up to 24 hour after ovulation.

Intercourse has to happen at just the right time to allow the sperm and egg to meet during the woman's most fertile days.

Male fertility problems are usually indicated by poor sperm quality.

The sperm might be misshaped or too slow to reach the egg.

Men who have had treatment for cancer might also have diminished sperm quality, depending on the treatment area.

They will also do a sperm analysis to check its quality and viability.

This involves using a long, thin catheter to insert sperm directly into the uterus.

The fallopian tubes are separated and sealed, preventing the sperm from meeting and fertilizing the women's eggs.

This device works to prevent fertilization by contaminating the sperm (copper ions are toxic to the sperm).

Because a male's sperm can live for several days, it is best to have sex before ovulation to increase the chances of the sperm and egg meeting.

A missionary position may help guide your partner's sperm to your eggs.

Ideally, the best time is in the morning, since this is when the man's sperm count will be the highest.

The missionary position is thought to be the best position for trying to conceive, since it allows for the deepest penetration and will deposit sperm closer to the cervix.

Two of the next most effective methods of birth control are having an IUD inserted (which prevents eggs and sperm from coming together to create a fetus) and emergency contraception pills.

While the estrogen/progesterone pill actually prevents ovulation, the progesterone-only pill changes the environment inside the uterus, making it considerably more difficult for sperm to fertilize an egg.

A better approach is to have sex two or three days before ovulating because the sperm can survive in the uterus three to five days.

During intercourse, sperm is absorbed into the sponge where it is killed by the spermicide nonoxynol 9 . The sponge also releases some of the nonoxynol 9 spermicide into the vagina to kill sperm on contact.

Ovulation is the process in which the female egg travels to the uterus where it can be fertilized by sperm.

Conception occurs when a sperm fertilizes the egg, creating an embryo that attaches to the uterine wall.

Sperm survive in the uterus for a few days and only one is needed to fertilize the egg if ovulation occurs a day or two after sex.

This is unlikely since sperm usually won't reach the egg.

The diet and exercise level of the father are also important, as these can affect sperm production and motility.

The dome covers the opening to the uterus and prevents sperm from entering through the cervix and traveling up to meet the egg.

Keep the diaphragm in the vagina for six to eight hours after intercourse to keep the sperm from entering through the cervix.

The shape of the IUD prevents the sperm from fertilizing the eggs.

Hormonal IUDs are designed to interfere with the sperm's movement and to reduce ovulation by releasing progestogen.

Sperm can live in the uterus for up to three days and if the device is removed, the egg may become fertilized.

The small amounts of copper that enter the woman's body from the IUD effectively prevent sperm from fertilizing an egg.

Basically, the male sperm determines the sex of a baby.

The male sperm contains either an X or Y (the Y chromosome makes a male).

If the sperm that fertilizes the egg is an X, then the baby will be XX or female.

If the sperm that fertilizes the egg is Y, then the baby will be XY or male.

In this process, the sperm is used to fertilize the egg outside of the womb.

Preconception gender selection methods you can try with your partner at home are based on creating an environment that favors either the X or the Y sperm and encourages that particular type of sperm to fertilize the egg.

Y-carrying sperm move faster than sperm carrying X chromosomes.