Why So Many Sperm??

As I glanced through the various options in which Radio Lab provides, the 60-minute segment on the abundance of semen in a male caught my attention. I suppose this is because when I reached the level of junior high and began to receive knowledge on sex education, they gave all the information one needed to know to understand how we were made, but there was never a discussion on why there were so many sperm, but only one of these critters helped in the process of our formation. 

Listening to Radio Lab's explanation made me laugh quite often because most of what they said sounded so... so... so UNREAL! First they used animals to help in their argument. Here is some of what I managed to record while listening to their ideas: The abundance in birds are due to the promiscuity of the female. Radio Lab says that they have to worry about competitors they must face when it is a bird they wish to pursue and because of her promiscuous acts with the others, this male bird has to worry about all the others who have slept with her and their semen!! This was hilarious!! It was referred to as "indoor competition" because this bird had to produce more sperm than the next guy. They give their scenarios for a few more animals, then progress to the discussion of humans. 

As women, our sexual organs are also complex as we have fallopian tubes that the sperm must travel. Here is where it gets interesting because there is one tube that leads to the waiting egg, while the other is empty. The countless amount of sperm that was released can live in our fallopian tubes for 2, 3, 4 days to a week until the eggs are ready!! When they are ready, the semen releases itself and swims to meet the egg where, if fertile, a baby is formed. I guess the lesson they were trying to teach is: a male needs multiple sperm because the chances of one finding the egg in time while it is still fertile is slim to none, therefore they need an army to help-- this is how we were all formed!! It took an army to us!! : )