Biology · Ch 2 — Reproduction in Lower and Higher Animals
Structure of Sperm
Structure of Sperm
Structure of sperm : The sperm is the male gamete, a motile, microscopic, elongated cell divisible into three parts: head, middle piece and tail.
Head : The head is oval in shape and contains the haploid nucleus; above the nucleus sits a cap-like structure, the acrosome, formed from the Golgi body, which contains hydrolytic enzymes such as hyaluronidase and proteolytic enzymes like zona lysins and corona-penetrating enzymes — these are the enzymes released during fertilization to help the sperm penetrate the coverings of the egg.
Neck : It is a very short region containing two centrioles, a proximal and a distal centriole.
Middle piece : It has a central axial filament surrounded by 10–14 spiral turns of mitochondria (collectively called the nebenkern), which produce the energy required for sperm movement. …
Drawn by us to help you understand the concept clearly, and verified to make sure it's accurate. For exams, practice from your textbook's own diagram.
What this figure shows. A human sperm cut lengthwise: the head with the acrosome cap and the nucleus carrying the chromosomal material, the neck, the middle piece whose mitochondria supply the energy for swimming, and the long tail, wrapped throughout by the plasma membrane. The textbook's Fig. 2.10 additionally names the proximal and distal centrioles in the neck and divides the ta …