9.5: Spermatogenesis
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- 35489
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Spermatogenesis occurs in the seminiferous tubules that form the bulk of each testis (see Figure). The process begins at puberty, after which time sperm are produced constantly throughout a man’s life. One production cycle from spermatogonia through formed sperm takes approximately 64 days. A new cycle starts approximately every 16 days although this timing is not synchronous across the seminiferous tubules. Sperm counts—the total number of sperm a man produces—slowly decline after age 35, and some studies suggest that smoking can lower sperm counts irrespective of age.
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- OpenStax, Anatomy and Physiology of the Male Reproductive System. Authored by: OpenStax CNX. Located at: http://cnx.org/contents/370d6d11-8e11-4b2b-8fa4-a70c14b0554b@5. License: Public Domain: No Known Copyright