CBSE Class 9 Answered

The sperm is the male reproductive cell. It is smaller than the ova. 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. The spermatozoa of animals are produced through spermatogenesis inside the male gonads via meiotic division.

The sperm cell consists of a head, a midpiece and a tail. The head contains the nucleus with densely coiled chromatin fibres, surrounded anteriorly by an acrosome, which contains enzymes used for penetrating the female egg. The midpiece has a central filamentous core with many mitochondria spiralled around it, used for ATP production for the journey through the female reproductive tract. The tail executes the lashing movements that propel the spermatocyte.