Sperm competition: strategy for getting your own off-spring

4 important questions on Sperm competition: strategy for getting your own off-spring

Sexual conflict in man and female?

  • man: maximal quantitative introduction of your genes in off-spring
    • as much as possible own off-spring
    • competition with other males
  • female: maximal quality of off-spring
    • selection of male with superior qualities

When have a male faster sperm?

tricks are found to be faster than the other, like a more attractive appearance. These males have a lager mid-pieces of the sperm (more mitochondria) and move faster. the female selects for the attractive appearance but indirectly for the faster sperm.
  • sperm mid/piece produces ATP for motility
  • is larger in species where females mate with multi males

What are the functions of seminal plasma? (8)

  • stabilizes sperm for transport sperm up to the uterus
  • may damage other sperm
    • block of migration other sperm
    • kills rivalling sperm
    • plug does not allow remating
    • plug keeps own sperm inside and protected
  • semen can have crystals which leads to damage of the male after mating after another male
  • seminal plasma influences females (induced ovulation in rabbits and cats)
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Does sperm war exist?

  • Yes
  • sperm war do exist -> genetic factors help sperm cells to outcompete their peers -> more RAC1 protein -> improves the competitiveness of individual sperm, whereas aberrant activity can cause male infertility.
    • Not all sperm is equal -> competition among spermatozoa is extreme. cells with the T-haplotype are particularly tough against their competitors. But this is not always the case as microscopic images of sperm from genetically normal mice, as well as form animals with the t-haplotype (homozygous or heterozygous), show

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