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Doctor Jane
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MoJoA sticky situation
Posted by Doctor Jane on April 29, 2008
For all you Mormons out there who wonder why semen seems so sticky, there is a simple biological explanation. But you may not like it.
Semen from a wide variety of species forms a “plug” that prevents a subsequent sex partner’s sperm from reaching the egg.
Some species form a “hard plug,” while others form a “soft plug.” We humans happen to be of the soft plug variety. Species that form a soft plug have evolved a penis shape that is exquisitely capable of removing a previous male’s soft plug, so that a male’s own sperm can pass this barrier and race toward the egg. Thrusting during sex facilitates soft plug removal. Species that form a hard semen plug generally have a bone in the penis that helps dislodge the previous male’s plug.
This entire scenario reeks of polyandry, when you think about it. Then consider the fact that we are made in God’s image, and that many Mormons believe that God and Joseph Smith are polygynists, and that women do not practice polyandry in the afterlife (i.e. women can be sealed to only one man, while men can be sealed to many women).
Whether resurrected beings have genitals is an entirely different matter, of course. But what does semen biology tell us about humanity in general? What does sticky semen tell us about our creation? Why would God endow men with the ability to so aptly remove a competitor’s sperm, if women were not meant to be polyandrous?
April 29, 2008 at 1:44 am
Fascinating, Jane.
It sure raises interesting questions, though. What do we do about the fact that our God-designed bodies seem to presume certain actions or behaviors that aren’t in line with what we’re told are God-designed rules and norms about sexuality?
April 29, 2008 at 2:38 am
This is fascinating.
Do you have a study or something to link to?
May 1, 2008 at 7:28 pm
seems to me that it might be sticky in order to not “fall out” and therefore “hang around” and increase chances of fertilization. fascinating, though.
May 1, 2008 at 7:49 pm
[...] it quite interesting. it’s from a liberal mormon blog “celebrating sexuality”. Doctor Jane says: For all you Mormons out there who wonder why semen seems so sticky, there is a simple [...]
May 1, 2008 at 11:13 pm
Interesting, I had wondered just that! Makes me feel like I need a few more men around the house, muahaha! I think the very fact that situations like these (biology vs. religion) arise is proof that god is either twisted (in demanding of us that which we are clearly not cut out for) or man-made (who better to make rules concerning women’s sexuality than the men who benefit from monoandry?).
May 2, 2008 at 2:27 am
The natural man (and woman) is an enemy of G-d……….
But seriously, there’s also the role of female orgasm and timing thereof during intercourse that allows a woman to chose which parner is more likely to father her children.
May 4, 2008 at 2:41 am
so, now that I’ve had more time to think about this, I’m curious: just what is the thrusting unplugging? Sperm from egg? Egg from uterus? And what good does a penis bone do in helping unplug something microscopic?
May 4, 2008 at 2:49 am
The bone (baculum) works on hard plugs. It helps to dislodge the plug.
The point of a plug is to act as a physical barrier to a subsequent male’s semen. If semen coagulates at the entrance to the uterus, it literally blocks anything from swimming through.
So thrusting (with an optimally designed penus) creates a vacuum that sucks a “soft plug” out of the way.
For species that produce a “hard plug,” the bone is useful to dislodge the hard plug. In laboratory rats and mice, the hard semen plug is visible, and it is actually used by scientists to determine whether animals successfully copulated.
It is well established that species with more prominent semen coagulation exhibit more female promiscuity, which is consistent with the notion that a man must compete by forming semen plugs, and by removing semen plugs from other males.
May 4, 2008 at 3:03 am
fascinating! Thank you, Dr. Jane
I’ll tell you this, ain’t nothing stranger than the truth!
May 4, 2008 at 3:05 am
I just noticed that I spelled penis wrong.
May 4, 2008 at 3:57 pm
This is just disgusting. Personally, I think the soft plug forms so that women had the option of spitting it back out and having some control over their own reproduction. Or maybe not. But if I ran the world that’s what it would be for.