What Does Sperm Mean?

The sperm cell is known as the haploid cell that is of the male gamete. The word sperm is the more common known form of the Greek word spermatozoon or spermatozoa. The sperm cell joins or enters the ovum of a female and forms a zygote. The zygote again is a single cell that is complete with a set of chromosomes which later naturally develop into an embryo. The contribution of sperm cells is that they transmit half of the genetic information to the diploid offspring.

In mammals the sperm cells determine the sex of the offspring. A sperm cell that bears a Y chromosome will result in a male offspring, whereas the sperm cell which bears an X chromosome will lead to the birth of a female offspring.