What term refers to the mixture of sperm and seminal fluid released during ejaculation?

• A. Semen
• B. Sperm
• C. Seminal fluid
• D. Ejaculate

Answer: (A)

You’re being asked to name the fluid that contains both the sperm cells and the secretions from male accessory glands released during ejaculation. The correct term for that mixture is semen. Semen is formed when spermatozoa from the testes mix with fluids from the seminal vesicles, the prostate, and the bulbourethral glands, creating the medium that carries sperm during ejaculation. Sperm are the cells themselves, not the fluid. Seminal fluid refers to the glandular secretions alone, without the sperm. An ejaculate can refer to the act of ejaculation or the expelled fluid, but anatomically the standard term for the full mixture is semen.