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 two to three micrometres wide (there are about 25,000 micrometres in an inch). The head portion is mainly a cell nucleus; it consists of genetic substances, called chromosomes,
which are responsible for transmitting specific characteristics of an individual, such as the colour of eyes, hair, and skin. In each body cell of healthy humans, there are 46 chromosomes,
which are responsible for the individual’s general physical makeup. The sperm cells have only 23 chromosomes, or half of the usual number. When a sperm cell unites with the ovum,
which also has 23 chromosomes, the resulting 46 chromosomes determine the offspring’s characteristics. The sperm cells also carry the X or Y chromosome that determines the sex of the future child.
