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Spermatozoa (sperm)
Spermatozoa (sperm) are the male sex cells that carry a man's genetic material. They are so tiny that they can't be seen without a microscope. In a healthy man, one ejaculation usually contains between 40 million and 600 million sperm.
Sperm have an oval head, a short middle, and a long tail. They move by whipping their tails. A sperm fertilizes a woman's egg (ovum) by breaking through the membrane that surrounds the egg.
Sperm develop in a man's testicles. They are added to semen before a man ejaculates.
Current as of: February 10, 2021
Author: Healthwise Staff
Medical Review:E. Gregory Thompson MD - Internal Medicine & Adam Husney MD - Family Medicine & Avery L. Seifert MD - Urology
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