Question

The meaning of oligospermia is
(a)Eggs are fertilized in less number
(b)Less number of sperms in semen
(c)More number of sperms formed
(d)Inactive sperm are formed

Answer 1

Hint: The term oligo is used in oligosaccharide which means a carbohydrate with 3-10 monomer units. Similarly, the term oligohydramnios is used to define a condition when there is too little amniotic fluid present.

Complete answer:
The term oligospermia (oligo=few, spermia=sperm) is used to define a male fertility issue that occurs due to low sperm count in the semen. Other symptoms include the inability to erect or ejaculation. For normal fertility, a human male should ejaculate about 200-300 million sperms during coitus. Out of which, 60% should have normal shape and size and at least 40% of them should be showing vigorous motility. Anything less than that will be considered as oligospermia. It is considered to be severe oligospermia if there are less than 5 million sperms per mL.

Additional Information: Let us look at some of the most common causes of oligospermia.
-Varicocele: This is a condition in which the veins of the scrotum become enlarged disrupting the flow of blood to the testicles. This results in increasing the temperature of testicles which is not favorable for spermatogenesis. The reason for oligospermia in 40% of the cases is varicocele.
-Infection: Infections like sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) can result in a decreased amount of sperms in the semen.
-Retrograde ejaculation: This is the type of ejaculation in which the semen enters the urinary bladder instead of leaving from the tip of the penis and such type of backflow of ejaculation results in decreased sperms in the semen.
So, the correct option is ‘Less number of sperms in semen’.

Note: -The secretions of the male accessory glands known as the seminal plasma along with the sperms constitute the semen.
-The seminal plasma is rich in fructose to provide nourishment to the sperms and also has calcium and enzymes in it.
-The male accessory glands consist of a paired seminal vesicle, prostate gland, and paired bulbourethral or Cowper’s glands.