Mathematical model for the ciliary-induced transport of seminal liquids through the ductuli efferentes

Abstract

This study describes the consequences of the ciliary motion on the transport of seminal liquid through the ductus efferentes of the male reproductive tract. By assuming the seminal liquid as a couple stress fluid, we have formulated a mathematical model for a two-dimensional flow through an axially symmetric tube whose inner surface is ciliated in the form of a metachronal wave. The governing system consists of nonlinear coupled partial differential equations which is reduced to a system of ordinary differential equations by utilizing the long wavelength approximation in an environment of the inertia free flow. Exact solutions for the velocity distribution, the pressure gradient and the stream function are obtained in terms of the couple stress parameters and the ciliary metachronism. Special attention is given to the pumping and the trapping characteristics due to the cilia motility. The study reveals that the ciliary pumping has to be more efficient to transport a couple stress fluid as compared to a Newtonian fluid. Moreover, the theoretical results for the couple stress fluid are found to be in good agreement with those reported by [T. J. Lardner and W. J. Shack, Cilia transport, Bull. Math. Biophys. 34 (1972) 325–335]. The analytical results are also displayed in graphical form.