Question

On average, how long do sperm survive in the female body?

Answer 1

Hint: Sperm is the gamete or male reproductive cell, in anisogamous forms of sexual reproduction. It fuses with the ovum and becomes zygote. The lifespan of the sperm depends on the location of sperm.

Complete answer:
After intercourse, a healthy sperm can live a couple of hours to as long as five days inside the female body. The lifespan of sperm inside the vagina depends entirely on the environment they are in. The specificities of a woman's uterus, fallopian tubes and vagina determine the lifespan of the sperm.
Having fertile cervical fluid increases the survival rates of sperm inside the vagina. In females, the vaginal canal is acidic in nature and only the healthiest of sperm will survive the first 12 hours. Around 100 million sperm is released through the semen each time a man ejaculates. Only a few sperms will survive the tough travel through the vagina and into fallopian tubes. The ones that reach the cervical fluid can survive safely, move towards the fallopian tubes and await the arrival of eggs from the ovaries for about five days. That is, only the healthiest sperm among the others that completes the trip will be able to successfully enter the egg through the thick protective layer and fertilize it.

Note: Scientists believe that the sperm cells can survive indefinitely once they are frozen, as long as the temperature is stable. At such a low temperatures, the sperm cells are in a type of a suspended animation, which means that all of their essential functions have completely stopped.