Illustration copyright 2000 by Nucleus Communications,
Inc. All rights reserved. http://www.nucleusinc.com
Spermatozoa (sperm) are the male sex cells that carry a man's genetic
material. A sperm fertilizes a woman's egg (ovum) by breaking through the
membrane that surrounds the egg.
Sperm develop in a man's
testicles and finish maturing in the epididymides. During ejaculation, the
sperm move out of the epididymides through the vas deferens and into the
urethra, the tube that runs through the penis. Semen, the thick liquid produced
in the seminal vesicles and prostate gland, is added to the sperm before
ejaculation.
| By | Healthwise Staff |
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| Primary Medical Reviewer | E. Gregory Thompson, MD - Internal Medicine |
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| Specialist Medical Reviewer | Christopher G. Wood, MD, FACS - Urology, Oncology |
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| Last Revised | January 13, 2011 |
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