Question
Question: Distinguish between the following: Egg and Sperm....
Distinguish between the following: Egg and Sperm.
Explanation
Solution
They are gametes produced by vertebrate males and females respectively.
Complete answer:
| BASIS FOR COMPARISON | SPERM | EGG |
|---|---|---|
| Meaning | The male gamete, which is a long, flagellated cell, and is differentiated into head, neck, middle piece, and the tail is known as sperm. | The female gamete, where the cells are rounded spheres and non-motile, though not differentiated into different regions, are known as eggs. |
| Size | Very small. | Large in size. |
| Movement | Can move with the help of flagella (Motile) | Not able to move (Non-motile) |
| Mitochondria | In the middle piece, mitochondria are compactly arranged to form a spiral. | Mitochondria are scattered in the cytoplasm. |
| Cytoplasm | Present in a small amount. | Present in the large amount. |
| Nucleus | It is condensed with no nucleoplasm. | Egg contains nucleoplasm, called the germinal vesicle. |
| Chromosomes | The nucleus contains X or Y chromosomes. | The nucleus contains only X chromosome. |
| Centrioles | Present. | Absent. |
| Produced in | Sperms are produced in the testes. | Egg is produced in ovaries. |
| Number of gametes produced | Life long production (millions) | Fixed amount (~ 400 mature eggs) |
| Number of gametes formed per germ cell | Four sperms are formed from one spermatogonium. | Only one egg is formed from one oogonium. |
| Surrounded by | Surrounded by plasma membrane only. | An egg is surrounded by the egg envelopes. |
| Process | Spermatogenesis | Oogenesis |
Fig: Sperm(left) and Egg (right)
Note:
- Egg is also called ovum.
- The sperm is the smallest cell while the ovum is the largest in the human body.