Sperm
physiology
Alternative Titles:
spermatozoa, spermatozoan, spermatozoon
Sperm, also called spermatozoon, plural spermatozoa, male reproductive cell, produced by most animals. With the exception of nematode worms, decapods (e.g., crayfish), diplopods (e.g., millipedes), and mites, sperm are flagellated; that is, they have a whiplike tail. In higher vertebrates, especially mammals, sperm are produced in the testes. The sperm unites with (fertilizes) an ovum (egg) of the female to produce a new offspring. Mature sperm have two distinguishable parts, a head and a tail. The head of the sperm varies in shape for each animal species. In humans it is flattened and almond-shaped, four to five micrometres long and …(100 of 795 words)