Question

Which provides nutrition to maturing sperms?
A. Leydig cell
B. Scrotum
C. Epididymis
D. Sertoli cells

Answer 1

Sperms are male gametes in humans. It is a small motile cell having half the number of chromosomes as the normal cell. Thus, it is a haploid cell. It is produced in the primary sex organ or gonads of the males called testes. The nurse cells present in the lining of seminiferous tubules. They fuse with the egg to fertilize it and form a zygote.

Complete answer: The testes are oval-shaped primary reproductive organs present in males. They are enclosed in a sac-like tissue called the scrotum. The scrotum is situated in front of the pelvic region above the thighs. The testes are responsible for the production and storage of sperms. The sperms are the male reproductive cells also called male gamete or spermatozoa. The testes consist of lobules having dense coiled connective tissue.
-The seminiferous tubules are the major portion of the testes. The process of formation of sperms called spermatogenesis takes place in these seminiferous tubules. The tubules are lined with epithelium cells and Sertoli cells. The Sertoli cells are also known as the nurse cells as they provide nutrition to the developing sperms and support their growth. They also aid in the production of the hormone that enhances spermatogenesis. Among the Sertoli cells are present the spermatogenic cells that divide to form sperms.
-Leydig cells are found adjacent to seminiferous tubules. These cells help in the production of testosterone that is the male hormone. This hormone initiates sex drive and production of sperms.
The epididymis is a tubular structure that connects the testicles to the vas deferens from where the sperms are stored and transported outside of the body. The sperms that are stored in epididymis lack the ability to swim thus they are provided with certain fluids here.
Therefore, Sertoli cells or the nurse cells that provide nutrition to the maturing sperms in the testes. So, option D is correct.

Note: The Sertoli cells can easily be identified under a microscope due to their distinctive feature of having a dark nucleolus. They are also called mother cells for the sperms to be nourished. Also, the Sertoli cells perform the function of phagocytes, as they clear the residual cytoplasm during spermatogenesis.