Why does sperm get sticky when in contact with hot water?
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It’s not so much about the temperature of the water as the multivalent solutes in it like calcium, and magnesium ions. Such positive ions complex to the negatively charged groups on the sides of large (chainlike) molecules in semen like polysaccharides and proteins. This “crosslink” between chains stops the molecules from sliding past one another in solution and thus they form a gel, which feels more solid than the original solution.
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