spermatozoon

spermatozoon
The male gamete or sex cell that contains the genetic information to be transmitted by the male, exhibits autokinesia, and is able to effect zygosis with an ovum. The human s. is composed of a head and a tail, the tail being divisible into a neck, a middle piece, a principal piece, and an end piece; the head, 4–6 μm in length, is a broadly oval, flattened body containing the nucleus; the tail is about 55 μm in length. SYN: sperm cell, sperm. [G. sperma, seed, + zoon, animal]

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sper·ma·to·zo·on -'zō-.än, -'zō-ən n, pl -zoa -'zō-ə a motile male gamete of an animal usu. with rounded or elongate head and a long posterior flagellum

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n. (pl. spermatozoa)
a mature male sex cell (see gamete). The tail of a sperm enables it to swim, which is important as a means for reaching and fertilizing the ovum (although muscular movements of the uterus may assist its journey from the vagina). See also acrosome, fertilization.

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sper·ma·to·zo·on (spur″mə-to-zoґon) pl. spermatozoґa [spermato- + Gr. zōon animal] a mature male germ cell, the specific output of the testes. It is the generative element of the semen which serves to fertilize the oocyte, and contains the genetic information to be transmitted to the zygote by the male. It consists of a head (or nucleus), a neck, a middle piece, and a tail with an end piece. Spermatozoa, formed in the seminiferous tubules, are derived from spermatogonia, which first develop into spermatocytes, which, in turn, undergo meiosis to produce spermatids; the spermatids then differentiate into spermatozoa. Called also sperm. spermatozoal adj

Human spermatozoon: side view (in cross-section) and flat view.


Medical dictionary. 2011.

Look at other dictionaries:

  • Spermatozoon — Sper ma*to*zo [ o]n, n.; pl. {Spermatozoa}. [NL., fr. Gr. ???, sperm + zo^,on an animal.] (Biol.) Same as {Spermatozoid}. [1913 Webster] …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • spermatozoon — spermatozoon. См. спермий. (Источник: «Англо русский толковый словарь генетических терминов». Арефьев В.А., Лисовенко Л.А., Москва: Изд во ВНИРО, 1995 г.) …   Молекулярная биология и генетика. Толковый словарь.

  • Spermatozoon — ⇒ Spermium …   Deutsch wörterbuch der biologie

  • spermatozoon — (n.) (pl. spermatozoa), male sexual cell, 1836, from Gk. spermato , combining form of sperma (gen. spermatos; see SPERM (Cf. sperm)) + zoion animal (see ZOO (Cf. zoo)) …   Etymology dictionary

  • spermatozoon — ► NOUN (pl. spermatozoa) Biology ▪ the motile male sex cell of an animal by which the ovum is fertilized, typically having a compact head and one or more long flagella for swimming. DERIVATIVES spermatozoal adjective spermatozoan adjective.… …   English terms dictionary

  • spermatozoon — [spʉr΄mə təzō′än΄, spər mat΄əzō′än΄, spʉr΄mətə zō′ən, spər mat΄ə zōən] n. pl. spermatozoa [spʉr′mə təzō′ə, spər mat΄əzō′ə] [ModL < SPERMATO + Gr zōion, animal: see BIO ] the male germ cell, found in semen, which penetrates the ovum, or egg, of …   English World dictionary

  • Spermatozoon — Infobox Anatomy Name = Spermatozoon Latin = |spermiusmatro GraySubject = 258 GrayPage = 1243 Caption = A sperm cell attempts to penetrate an ovum coat to fertilize it. Width = 350 Caption2 = Diagram of a human spermatozoon System = MeshName =… …   Wikipedia

  • Spermatozoon — Spermium und Eizelle Ein Spermium oder Spermatozoon (umgangssprachlich auch Samenfaden oder Samenzelle genannt) ist eine zu eigenständiger Bewegung fähige männliche Keimzelle, die der Befruchtung der weiblichen Eizelle dient. Spermien werden vom… …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • Spermatozoon — Sper|ma|to|zo|on 〈n.; s, zo|en〉 = Spermium [<Sperma + grch. zoon „Lebewesen, Tier“] * * * Sper|ma|to|zo|on, das; s, …zoen [zu griech. zõon = Lebewesen]: Spermium. * * * Spermatozoon,   Samenzelle …   Universal-Lexikon

  • spermatozoon — [[t]spɜ͟ː(r)mətəzo͟ʊə[/t]] spermatozoa N COUNT A spermatozoon is a sperm. [TECHNICAL] …   English dictionary

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