Out of the 'quarter switch', now we have the 'sperm switch' with on-off mode

The scientists revealed that sperm also acted on the 'on-off switch' mode, and this finding would work to prevent the "tail-wagging" sperm from reaching the egg.

For a long time, we have become accustomed to using condoms as a safe contraceptive with the effect of preventing the "tail-slapping" sperm from swimming into the egg.

In the United States, about 5.7 million women avoid pregnancy by relying on condom use in men.

But that is not the only way to control birth rates in the population. Because scientists have found an effective contraceptive method on the body of both men and women.

There are many women who avoid pregnancy by relying on condoms.

By detecting the ion flow inside a sperm, they were able to find a power switch that "turned on - off" the activity of the sperm.

When squeezing through the cervix, wriggling into the fallopian tube, the sperm must move like a snake over a distance of 24,000 times their body length to reach the egg.

Scientists can find a power switch "turning on - off" sperm activity.

Are you good, the "head" sperm only has a length of 0,0005cm? To penetrate a transparent layer of 0.03 cm thick covering the outside of the egg, the sperm will pour all the energy into its tail, straight and decisively like the drill. Scientists call this action "an internal force push."

Sperm tries to invade the egg

So which actor has turned on the power for "internal force push" ? That is because a large amount of calcium ions in the human body has energized the sperm for active sperm. Sperm does not choose other ion sources, they only trust "Catsper" - an ion that is used to absorb calcium and increase the ability to get close to eggs.

Scientists call this action "an internal force push."

According to scientists, sperm and Catsper are considered "identical pairs" when they study the situation of infertility in men in 2001. On publication at PNAS, researchers at UC Berkeley have screened More than 50 chemical compounds can be closely linked to Catsper, and help to neutralize the activity of this ion.

Two of the 50 compounds are lupeol and pristimerin , which can prevent calcium precipitation - the energy source needed for sperm. These compounds can be easily found in plants such as grapes, mangoes, dandelions, aloe vera and angiosperms.

Grapes contain a lot of lupeol compounds, preventing calcium precipitation necessary for sperm activity.

Polina Lishko, a biologist and head of the study, said: "We can use lupeol and pristimerin right now to have more timely contraception. This method is 10 times more effective. times compared to anything in the market, preventing fertilization and embryo formation at any time when we use it. "

According to Erwin Goldberg, a molecular biologist and sperm researcher at Northwestern University, "This is the potential of an effective contraceptive in the future. However, attention must be drawn. and interest of pharmaceutical companies, to invest in expensive clinical trials for this measure ".

This is the potential of an effective contraceptive in the future.

The results that Lishko and her team published came from tests on human sperm in laboratory conditions.

Recently they have started testing in primates to see how long their method can neutralize sperm in a dose.

She hopes the team can both produce oral medicines for men and women, and can perform transplants on human bodies later this year.