Electroejaculation
Encyclopedia
Electroejaculation is a procedure used to obtain semen
samples from sexually mature male
mammal
s. The procedure is applied for breeding programs and research purposes in various species
, as well as in the treatment of an ejaculatory dysfunction in human
males.
Electroejaculation is usually carried out under a general anesthetic. An electric probe is inserted into the rectum
adjacent to the prostate
. The probe delivers an AC voltage, usually 12-24 volts sine wave at a frequency of 60 Hz, with a current limited to usually 500 mA, although some devices can generate currents of up to 1 A. The probe is activated for 1-2 seconds, referred to as a stimulus cycle. Ejaculation usually occurs after 2-3 stimulus cycles. Care must be taken when using currents greater than 500 mA, as tissue burns may result due to heating of the probe. The stimulus voltage stimulates nearby nerve
s, resulting in contraction of the pelvic
muscle
s and ejaculation
. This procedure is used frequently with large mammals, particularly bulls and some domestic animals, as well as humans who have certain types of paralysis or erectile dysfunction
.
In the practice of veterinary medicine and animal science, it is common to collect semen from domestic ruminants using electro-ejaculation without sedation or anesthesia. Only in goats, is mild sedation sometimes used. Because of the significant skeletal muscle contractions experienced by animals during electroejaculation, it is never used in stallions except in rare cases, under general anesthesia.
Semen
Semen is an organic fluid, also known as seminal fluid, that may contain spermatozoa. It is secreted by the gonads and other sexual organs of male or hermaphroditic animals and can fertilize female ova...
samples from sexually mature male
Male
Male refers to the biological sex of an organism, or part of an organism, which produces small mobile gametes, called spermatozoa. Each spermatozoon can fuse with a larger female gamete or ovum, in the process of fertilization...
mammal
Mammal
Mammals are members of a class of air-breathing vertebrate animals characterised by the possession of endothermy, hair, three middle ear bones, and mammary glands functional in mothers with young...
s. The procedure is applied for breeding programs and research purposes in various species
Species
In biology, a species is one of the basic units of biological classification and a taxonomic rank. A species is often defined as a group of organisms capable of interbreeding and producing fertile offspring. While in many cases this definition is adequate, more precise or differing measures are...
, as well as in the treatment of an ejaculatory dysfunction in human
Human
Humans are the only living species in the Homo genus...
males.
Electroejaculation is usually carried out under a general anesthetic. An electric probe is inserted into the rectum
Rectum
The rectum is the final straight portion of the large intestine in some mammals, and the gut in others, terminating in the anus. The human rectum is about 12 cm long...
adjacent to the prostate
Prostate
The prostate is a compound tubuloalveolar exocrine gland of the male reproductive system in most mammals....
. The probe delivers an AC voltage, usually 12-24 volts sine wave at a frequency of 60 Hz, with a current limited to usually 500 mA, although some devices can generate currents of up to 1 A. The probe is activated for 1-2 seconds, referred to as a stimulus cycle. Ejaculation usually occurs after 2-3 stimulus cycles. Care must be taken when using currents greater than 500 mA, as tissue burns may result due to heating of the probe. The stimulus voltage stimulates nearby nerve
Nerve
A peripheral nerve, or simply nerve, is an enclosed, cable-like bundle of peripheral axons . A nerve provides a common pathway for the electrochemical nerve impulses that are transmitted along each of the axons. Nerves are found only in the peripheral nervous system...
s, resulting in contraction of the pelvic
Pelvis
In human anatomy, the pelvis is the lower part of the trunk, between the abdomen and the lower limbs .The pelvis includes several structures:...
muscle
Muscle
Muscle is a contractile tissue of animals and is derived from the mesodermal layer of embryonic germ cells. Muscle cells contain contractile filaments that move past each other and change the size of the cell. They are classified as skeletal, cardiac, or smooth muscles. Their function is to...
s and ejaculation
Ejaculation
Ejaculation is the ejecting of semen from the male reproductory tract, and is usually accompanied by orgasm. It is usually the final stage and natural objective of male sexual stimulation, and an essential component of natural conception. In rare cases ejaculation occurs because of prostatic disease...
. This procedure is used frequently with large mammals, particularly bulls and some domestic animals, as well as humans who have certain types of paralysis or erectile dysfunction
Erectile dysfunction
Erectile dysfunction is sexual dysfunction characterized by the inability to develop or maintain an erection of the penis during sexual performance....
.
In the practice of veterinary medicine and animal science, it is common to collect semen from domestic ruminants using electro-ejaculation without sedation or anesthesia. Only in goats, is mild sedation sometimes used. Because of the significant skeletal muscle contractions experienced by animals during electroejaculation, it is never used in stallions except in rare cases, under general anesthesia.