Question
Distinguish between human sperm and ovum.
| Points | Human sperm | ovum |
| Meaning: | The male gamete is responsible for fertilizing the female ovum. | The female gamete, which, upon fertilization by sperm, initiates the development of a new organism. |
| Structure: | Designed for motility and fertilisation, it is divided into three pieces: the head, the middle, and the tail. | Rounded, non-motile, and relatively large compared to sperm, designed to provide the initial nutrients to the embryo. |
| Type of Gamete: | The male gamete is smaller, designed for mobility and delivering genetic material to the ovum. | The female gamete is bigger and receives genetic material from sperm to nourish the developing foetus. |
| Head: | Contains a haploid nucleus and is topped by the acrosome, which contains enzymes required to penetrate the ovum. | The nucleus is known as the germinal vesicle before fertilization and changes to the pronucleus after fertilization. |
| Middle Piece: | Contains mitochondria wrapped around the axial filament, providing energy for sperm motility. | There is no intermediate portion; the cytoplasm (ooplasm) is abundant in nutrients and organelles required for early embryonic development. |
| Tail: | A long, slender structure with an axial filament, enabling sperm motility. | Lacks a tail, as it is non-motile. |
| Nucleus: | Haploid, containing either an X or Y chromosome, which determines the sex of the offspring. | Haploid as well, containing a single set of chromosomes and always providing an X chromosome. |
| Coverings: | Lacks specialized external coverings; the plasma membrane is its main external boundary. | Surrounded by the vitelline membrane, zona pellucida, and corona radiata, it serves as both a protective barrier and a sperm-binding site. |
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