Question

What is the difference between a secondary spermatocyte and a spermatid?

Answer 1

Both secondary spermatocyte and spermatid are haploid cells. The secondary spermatocyte gives birth to spermatids after meiosis II. Secondary spermatocytes contain duplicated chromosomes with two chromatids but spermatids contain only one chromatid after separation in anaphase II of meiosis II. Spermatids get transformed into spermatozoa or sperm.

Complete answer:
Each spermatocyte gives rise to two spermatids, thus two spermatocytes originate from four spermatids after the entry of spermatocytes in meiosis.
Spermatids are products of the second division of meiosis, which is meiosis II, in male gametogenesis.
Chromosomes in secondary spermatocytes are in duplicated forms and contain two chromatids. But, chromosomes in spermatids have only one chromosome and spermatid matures into spermatozoan.
Spermatocyte is a male gamete, from which spermatozoa develops.
Spermatid has a tail, acrosome at head and mitochondria filled mid-piece with tightly packed chromatin.
Spermatogenesis is a process, through which male primary sperm cells undergo meiosis and produce a number of cells called spermatogonia. From spermatogonia, primary spermatocytes are derived. Each primary spermatocyte gives rise to two secondary spermatocytes and in turn, each secondary spermatocyte gives origination to two spermatids, which are young spermatozoa. These young spermatozoa develop into mature spermatozoa, which are also referred to as sperm cells.
The precursor cells of secondary spermatocytes have been dormant in the male before birth, but move into production of sperms via the hormones of puberty.

Note:
Primary spermatocyte is a diploid cell, whereas the secondary spermatocyte is a haploid cell. Spermatocytes possess half the normal complement of genetic material. Production of secondary spermatocytes occurs in a very shorter time and due to the brevity of this stage, secondary spermatocytes are rarely used in histological preparations.