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Sperm

Definition

noun, plural: sperms

The male gamete or reproductive cell involved in sexual reproduction. It is produced by a male organism that unites with the egg of a female organism forming a zygote.


Supplement

A sperm is a cell consisting of a round or cylindrical nucleated cell, a short neck, and a thin motile tail. Its structure is vital to its mobility and function (i.e. sexual reproduction). The compacted nucleus contains half of the genetic information. It fuses with an ovum (the female gamete) to form a zygote. In mammals, the sex is determined by the sperm cell. If it bears Y chromosome, the resulting offspring is a male. If X chromosome, the offspring is a female.


Word origin: Greek, from sperma, spermat-, seed.

Synonyms: spermatozoon, zoosperm.


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Mammalian Gametes

... full of maternal mRNA that are silenced till fertilization. It also has vesicles just under the plasma membrane that will release enzymes upon one sperm contact and prevent polyspermy from happening. A release of Ca ++ happens upon fertilization and starts the whole cascade of development. The ...

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by kolean
Wed Sep 02, 2009 10:41 pm
 
Forum: Cell Biology
Topic: Mammalian Gametes
Replies: 3
Views: 49

Re: Natural selection is proven wrong

... changes). The fused chromosome is in either allele (either mother or father) of the haploid (has one of two sets of chromosomes) germ cell (egg or sperm) that divides down to develop into a 47 chromosome heterozygote (alleles are different not homozygous where alleles the same) humanoid that has ...

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by GaryGaulin
Tue Sep 01, 2009 3:00 am
 
Forum: Evolution
Topic: Natural selection is proven wrong
Replies: 177
Views: 16282

Mammalian Gametes

At least take a guess on how they are specialized for their functions. Look at the shape of the male sperm and the female egg. Then look at the main organelles in each gamete, and their location. This should all be in your book.

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by kolean
Fri Aug 28, 2009 11:40 am
 
Forum: Cell Biology
Topic: Mammalian Gametes
Replies: 3
Views: 49

what is gametes in DNA?

... makes it possible for this cell to fuse with another gamete in fertilization to form the first diploid cell of the embryo-to-be - i.e. gametes are sperm and eggs. Now, if you think about human fertilization and embryonal development, you should be able to figure out what happens to a new gene if ...

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by biohazard
Tue Aug 25, 2009 6:08 am
 
Forum: Genetics
Topic: what is gametes in DNA?
Replies: 3
Views: 49

Re: A question from Cloning

... puberty and mental development etc., ( which may not be stricly metamorhosis) may also get affected? What I had in mind was cloning assumes : (Sperm cell + Egg's nucleus) + Bioreaction of nucleus fusion = Nucleus of a standard cell Since a naturally fertilized frog cell is able to go successfully ...

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by koyal
Tue Jul 28, 2009 4:38 am
 
Forum: Cell Biology
Topic: A question from Cloning
Replies: 16
Views: 491
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