Biophysical Determinants and Constraints on Sperm Swimming Velocity.

ABSTRACT: Over the last 50 years, sperm competition has become increasingly recognised as a potent evolutionary force shaping male ejaculate traits. One such trait is sperm swimming speed, with faster sperm associated with increased fertilisation success in some species. Consequently, sperm are often thought to have evolved to be longer in order to facilitate faster movement. However, despite the intrinsic appeal of this argument, sperm operate in a different biophysical environment than we are used to, and instead increasing length may not necessarily be associated with higher velocity. Here, we test four predictive models (ConstantPower Density, Constant Speed, Constant Power Transfer, Constant Force) of the relationship between sperm length and speed. We collated published data on s

SUBMITTER: Soulsbury CD 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC9656961 | biostudies-literature | 2022 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature