What is the male sex cell called

In species that produce two morphologically distinct types of gametes, and in which each individual produces only one type, a female is any individual that produces the larger type of gamete—called an ovum — and a male produces the smaller tadpole -like type—called a sperm. In short a gamete is an egg cell female gamete or a sperm male gamete. This is an example of anisogamy or heterogamy , the condition in which females and males produce gametes of different sizes this is the case in humans; the human ovum has approximately , times the volume of a single human sperm cell [2] [3]. In contrast, isogamy is the state of gametes from both sexes being the same size and shape, and given arbitrary designators for mating type. The name gamete was introduced by the German cytologist Eduard Strasburger. Gametes carry half the genetic information of an individual, one ploidy of each type, and are created through meiosis.

Sexual reproduction is the creation of new individuals by the joining of the separate sex cells of two parents. Each offspring produced by sexual reproduction has a unique collection of genes and are well-equipped to adapt to change. Most animals reproduce sexually. Sexual reproduction describes the process in which the gametes sex cells of the two parents come together and form a fertilized egg cell called a zygote. The zygote then develops into a new individual.

NCBI Bookshelf. The formation of sex cells is a central part of human reproduction: In fertilization, an egg cell and a sperm cell combine. These sex cells are also called reproductive cells or gametes.

This page has been archived and is no longer updated. Gametes are an organism's reproductive cells. They are also referred to as sex cells. Female gametes are called ova or egg cells, and male gametes are called sperm.