Sperm transfer through hyper-elongated beetle penises – morphology and theoretical approaches

Yoko Matsumura; Jan Michels; Hamed Rajabi; Tateo Shimozawa; Stanislav N. Gorb

doi:10.1038/s41598-019-46211-x

Sperm transfer through hyper-elongated beetle penises – morphology and theoretical approaches

Yoko Matsumura, Jan Michels, Hamed Rajabi, Tateo Shimozawa, Stanislav N. Gorb

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

7 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

Many insects possess a hyper-elongated intromittent organ with a diameter of only a few micrometers. Using morphological and theoretical approaches, we investigated the biomechanics of sperm transfer through such organs by calculating (1) how far and how fast sperm could fill in the penis by capillary action, (2) how much capillary pressure is generated in the penis, and (3) how much pressure is needed to pump sperm out of the penis. The results enabled us to propose the following hypotheses: (1) penile filling basically occurs by capillary action, and (2) sperm transport to females occurs by contracting the sperm pump muscles or by active propulsion of spermatozoa. Potential experimental approaches to test these hypotheses are discussed.

Original language	English
Article number	10238
Pages (from-to)	10238
Journal	Scientific Reports
Volume	9
Issue number	1
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-019-46211-x https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-019-46211-x
Publication status	Published - 5 Jul 2019
Externally published	Yes

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© 2019, The Author(s).

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title = "Sperm transfer through hyper-elongated beetle penises – morphology and theoretical approaches",

abstract = "Many insects possess a hyper-elongated intromittent organ with a diameter of only a few micrometers. Using morphological and theoretical approaches, we investigated the biomechanics of sperm transfer through such organs by calculating (1) how far and how fast sperm could fill in the penis by capillary action, (2) how much capillary pressure is generated in the penis, and (3) how much pressure is needed to pump sperm out of the penis. The results enabled us to propose the following hypotheses: (1) penile filling basically occurs by capillary action, and (2) sperm transport to females occurs by contracting the sperm pump muscles or by active propulsion of spermatozoa. Potential experimental approaches to test these hypotheses are discussed.",

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AU - Michels, Jan

AU - Rajabi, Hamed

AU - Shimozawa, Tateo

AU - Gorb, Stanislav N.

PY - 2019/7/5

Y1 - 2019/7/5

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AB - Many insects possess a hyper-elongated intromittent organ with a diameter of only a few micrometers. Using morphological and theoretical approaches, we investigated the biomechanics of sperm transfer through such organs by calculating (1) how far and how fast sperm could fill in the penis by capillary action, (2) how much capillary pressure is generated in the penis, and (3) how much pressure is needed to pump sperm out of the penis. The results enabled us to propose the following hypotheses: (1) penile filling basically occurs by capillary action, and (2) sperm transport to females occurs by contracting the sperm pump muscles or by active propulsion of spermatozoa. Potential experimental approaches to test these hypotheses are discussed.

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SP - 10238

JO - Scientific Reports

JF - Scientific Reports

IS - 1

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ER -

Sperm transfer through hyper-elongated beetle penises – morphology and theoretical approaches

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