Question

Draw only a labelled diagram of a sperm of man.

Hint:

Remember: The sperm structure = Head (with nucleus + acrosome), Middle piece (with mitochondria), Tail (for movement).

Answer 1

The sperm is the male gamete in humans. It is a haploid cell (containing 23 chromosomes) produced in the testes by the process of spermatogenesis. A sperm has a unique structure that enables it to move actively and fertilize the female gamete (ovum).

Step 1: Structural divisions.
The human sperm is divided into three main parts: \begin{enumerate} \item Head: Contains the nucleus (haploid set of chromosomes) and is capped by the acrosome, which has enzymes (like hyaluronidase) that help in penetrating the egg. \item Middle piece: Contains a large number of mitochondria which provide energy (ATP) for the movement of the sperm. \item Tail (Flagellum): Long and whip-like, responsible for motility and helps the sperm swim towards the ovum. \end{enumerate}

Step 2: Diagram.
A labelled diagram of a human sperm is given below: \begin{center} \begin{tikzpicture}[scale=1.2] % Head \draw[thick] (0,0) ellipse (0.4cm and 0.7cm); \node at (0,0) {Nucleus}; % Acrosome \draw[thick] (0,0.7) arc[start angle=180,end angle=360,radius=0.4cm]; \node at (0,1.1) {Acrosome}; % Neck \draw[thick] (0,-0.7) -- (0,-1.0); \node[right] at (0,-0.85) {Neck}; % Middle piece (with mitochondria) \draw[thick] (0,-1.0) -- (0,-2.5); \node[right] at (0,-1.7) {Middle piece (mitochondria)}; % Tail \draw[thick] (0,-2.5) -- (0,-5); \node[right] at (0,-3.8) {Tail}; \end{tikzpicture} \end{center}

Step 3: Significance.
The human sperm is specialized for fertilization. The acrosome enzymes break down the outer layers of the ovum, while the mitochondria supply the energy for motility, ensuring the sperm can reach and fertilize the egg successfully.