Sperm and ovum are the gametes produced by vertebrates. More specifically, sperm is the male gamete while the ovum is the female gamete. These two cells also have contrasting size – for instance, the sperm is the smallest cell in the human body while the ovum is the largest. Read on to explore more differences between the two.
Difference Between Ovum and Sperm (Human) |
|
| Sperm is the male gamete | Ovum is the female gamete |
| Motile (flagella) | Non-motile |
| The smallest cell in the human body | The largest cell in the human body |
| Centrally located | Scattered in the cytoplasm |
| Present in very small amounts | Present in large amounts |
| Absent | Present (called germinal vesicle) |
| Contains X or Y chromosomes | Contains only X chromosomes |
| Present | Absent |
| Produces in the testes | Produced in the ovary |
| Segmented into head, neck, middle and tail | No such external segmentation |
| One spermatogonium produces four sperms | One oogonium produces only one ovum |
| Plasma membrane | Egg envelopes |
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