MEDICAL BIOLOGY, HUMAN ANATOMY, PHYSIOLOGY AND PATHOLOGY - Ya.I. Fedoniuk 2010

ANATOMY, PHYSIOLOGY, PATHOLOGY

CHAPTER 9. REPRODUCTIVE PROCESS

ANATOMY OF THE REPRODUCTIVE ORGANS

GERM CELLS

1. SPERMATOZOA. SEMEN

Male Germ Cells, known as spermatozoa or sperm, are produced within the convoluted seminiferous tubules of the human Testis. The process of male germ Cell development is called Spermatogenesis. Spermatozoa measure up to 70 µm in length and are capable of active motility, moving at a speed of 50 µm/s.

A mature human spermatozoon consists of a HEAD, neck, and tail. The head contains a haploid set of Chromosomes comprising 22 autosomes and 1 sex chromosome, which is either X or Y. Consequently, spermatozoa are divided into two types: androsperm (22a+Y), which give rise to male offspring, and gynosperm (22a+X), which determine female offspring upon Fertilization.

Semen is a viscous, sticky fluid with a characteristic odor. It consists of secretions from the Seminal Vesicles, Bulbourethral Glands, and Prostate Gland, suspended with spermatozoa at a concentration of 3x109. Spermatozoa retain their fertilizing capacity within the female reproductive tract for up to two days.



Last update: 08/08/2026

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