Micrograph of a human sperm cell. Spermatozoa are the highly motile male sex cell. The sperm's tail enables it to swim, an essential action in reaching the female ovum. The the head is capped by the acrosome that releases enzymes that assist in the penetration of the egg during fertilization. Only a single sperm succeeds in fertilization; rapid chemical changes thicken the outer membrane surrounding the ovum and form a barrier to competing sperm.
CREDIT: Michael Abbey / Photo Researchers / Universal Images Group, Rights Managed / For Education Use Only
CITATION: Human sperm cell. Photograph. Encyclopædia Britannica ImageQuest. Web. 18 Apr 2016. http://quest.eb.com/search/139_1900407/1/139_1900407/cite
Need a login or password for a database or subscription service? See Reference Sites under Learning Links on the UWCSEA website, which can be accessed directly via: https://www.uwcsea.edu.sg/links The same information is available via Google Docs: http://bit.ly/accessuwc
Search our library catalogs for books, ebooks, etc.
United World College of Southeast Asia (UWCSEA): Dover Campus: 1207 Dover Road, Singapore 139654 / East Campus: 1 Tampines Street 73, Singapore 528704