ELI5: Explain Like I'm 5

Sperm competition

Sperm competition is like a race between tiny swimming cells called sperm to see which one gets to fertilize the egg first. Just like in a running race where the fastest runner wins, in the sperm competition, the sperm that swims the fastest or is the strongest will reach the egg first and fertilize it.

When a man ejaculates, he releases millions of sperm, and they all start swimming towards the egg. But only one sperm can fertilize the egg, and the other sperm die. So, the competition begins, and the sperm fight to reach the egg first.

The fight can be more intense when a woman has multiple sexual partners at the same time. In this situation, the sperm from different partners compete with each other to fertilize the egg.

Sperm competition can also affect the behavior of men and women. For example, men might produce more sperm when they suspect their partner might have had sex with someone else recently. And women might choose to mate with men who have stronger or faster sperm, to increase their chances of having healthy offspring.

So, in summary, sperm competition is like a race between millions of tiny swimming cells to reach the egg first and fertilize it. The competition can affect the behavior of men and women and can be influenced by the number of sexual partners involved.