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The human sperm cell is haploid, so that its 23 chromosomes can join the 23 chromosomes of the female egg to form a diploid cell with 46 paired chromosomes. In mammals, sperm is stored in the epididymis and released through the penis in semen during ejaculation. The word sperm is derived from the Greek word σπέρμα, sperma, meaning "seed".
Sperm cells that give rise to female (XX) offspring after fertilization differ in that they carry an X-chromosome, while sperm cells that give rise to male (XY) offspring carry a Y-chromosome. [3] A human sperm cell consists of a flat, disc shaped head 5.1 μm by 3.1 μm and a tail known as a flagellum 50 μm long. [4]
The epididymis is a long whitish mass of tightly coiled tube. The sperm that are produced in the seminiferous tubules flow into the epididymis. During passage via the epididymis, the sperm undergo maturation and are concentrated by the action of ion channels located on the apical membrane of the epididymis. [2]
Anatomy of the testis In males, this process is known as spermatogenesis and occurs only after puberty in the seminiferous tubules of the testes. The immature spermatozoa or sperm are then sent to the epididymis , where they gain a tail, enabling motility .
Spermatogenesis produces mature male gametes, commonly called sperm but more specifically known as spermatozoa, which are able to fertilize the counterpart female gamete, the oocyte, during conception to produce a single-celled individual known as a zygote.
Ejaculation occurs in two stages, the emission stage and the expulsion stage. [4] The emission stage involves the workings of several structures of the ejaculatory duct; contractions of the prostate gland, the seminal vesicles, the bulbourethral gland and the vas deferens push fluids into the prostatic urethra. [3]
Spermatogonia going through mitosis to form primary spermatocytes in Grasshopper testes. Spermatocytogenesis. At puberty, spermatogonia located along the walls of the seminiferous tubules within the testis will be initiated and start to divide mitotically, forming two types of A cells that contain an oval shaped nucleus with a nucleolus attached to the nuclear envelope; one is dark (Ad) and ...
A 1992 World Health Organization report described normal human semen as having a volume of 2 mL or greater, pH of 7.2 to 8.0, sperm concentration of 20×10 6 spermatozoa/mL or more, sperm count of 40×10 6 spermatozoa per ejaculate or more, and motility of 50% or more with forward progression (categories a and b) of 25% or more with rapid ...