Debunking the “Sperm Race” Myth
You did not win the "sperm race." The egg chose you!
“The idea that millions of sperm are on an Olympian race to reach the egg is yet another male fantasy of human reproduction.” - Robert D. Martin, biological anthropologist
On the topic of debunking existing fertility myths, the “sperm race” is another one that needs to go.
Most of us have been taught that the reason why we’re here today is because we were the fastest sperm to reach our mom’s egg. According to this view, the egg is nothing but a passive receiver. Meanwhile, the sperms receive praise for doing all the hard work.
Well…in reality, research is showing that quite the reverse is true. It’s the egg that’s in control.
The motions and chemical signals released by the female reproductive tract dictate which sperm swim faster, which ones don’t swim at all, and which sperm gets chosen for fertilization. Without the egg’s intelligent signals, the sperms lack direction entirely. Actually, during parts of this imaginary “race,” the sperm cells are passively transported by the pumping motions of the uterus and fallopian tubes. The egg is so much in control that it can even override our choice of partner if it doesn’t like his sperm.
In this article:
The male-centric history of reproductive science
The “sperm race:” When stereotypes take over science
How the egg orchestrates and controls the sperm’s journey
How the sperm and egg come together
Sperm cells don’t have the energetic capacity to penetrate the egg
Could some cases of infertility be caused by the woman’s egg not liking her partner’s sperm?
How a baby’s mitochondrial health is dictated by the mother
Does the mother decide the baby’s gender?