評(píng)論
打印
Scientists who study human sperm have long wonderedwhether human sperm could somehow sense the presence of an egg.
研究人類精子的科學(xué)家們長(zhǎng)期以來都很疑惑：精子是否能以某種方式察覺到卵子的存在。
Then, just about a decade ago, it was discovered that sperm have proteins on them that react to the presence ofcertain chemicals.
大約就在十多年前，人們發(fā)現(xiàn)精子本身含有一些蛋白質(zhì)對(duì)某些特定的化學(xué)物質(zhì)會(huì)產(chǎn)生反應(yīng)。
In fact, these are the same molecules used by nerve cells in your nose when you sniff out a scent.
實(shí)際上，那些就是我們鼻子聞氣味時(shí)需要的神經(jīng)細(xì)胞。
Nothing that looks like a nose of course, but these chemical-sensing proteins act like noses.
當(dāng)然不是真正的鼻子，但可以嗅到化學(xué)五的蛋白質(zhì)就像鼻子一樣。
Researchers call these sensory devices “olfactory receptors.”
研究人員把這些感知工具叫做“嗅覺感受器”。
More recent studies have startedfiguring out what kind of chemical attracts a sperm.
很多近代的研究已經(jīng)開始弄清楚吸引精子的是那種化學(xué)物質(zhì)。
The most effective spermattractor is called “bourgeonal.”
最有效的精子吸引子叫bourgeonal。
Bourgeonal is a floral scent.
Bourgeonal一種花香化合物。
When sperm sense the presence of bourgeonal, they race toward it.
當(dāng)精子嗅到這種味道，就會(huì)迅速向它移動(dòng)。
Their speed goes from eighteen point three micrometers per second up to a whopping thirty point one.
精子的速度從每秒18.3微米上升到30.1微米。
The most likely thing isthat bourgeonal just happens to be structurally similar to another chemical produced by a female egg.
最有可能的是， bourgeonal與由卵子產(chǎn)生的一種化學(xué)物在結(jié)構(gòu)上是相似的。
