Spermatozoon

A sperm cell, spermatozoon (pl. spermatozoa) (in Greek: sperma = semen and zoon = alive), or spermatozoan, is the haploid cell that is the male gamete. It is carried in fluid called semen, and is capable of fertilising an egg cell to form a zygote. A zygote can grow into a new organism, such as a human being.

Spermatozoan structure and size

Individual spermatozoa are highly differentiated cells, composed normally of a head, basal body (or midpiece), and tail. The head contains some cytoplasm and the nuclear material for fertilization. The basal body contains a large concentration of mitochondria that provide the energy for sperm motility through the production of ATP. The spermatozoan tail is typically a flagellum used for propulsion.

Related Topics:
Tail - Cytoplasm - Nuclear - Fertilization - Basal body - Mitochondria - ATP

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In humans, sperm cells consists of a head 5 µm by 3 µm and a tail 50 µm long. The tail flagellates, which we now know propels the sperm cell (at about 1-3 mm/minute in humans) by rotating like a rutter not side to side like a whip. The cell is characterized by a minimum of cytoplasm. During fertilization, the sperm's mitochondria gets destroyed by the egg cell, and this means only the mother is able to provide the baby's mitochondria and mitochondrial DNA, which has an important application in tracing maternal ancestry.

Related Topics:
µm - Flagellate - Mitochondria - Mitochondrial DNA - Ancestry

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