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Difference Between Sperm and Ovum in Tabular Form

Difference between sperm and ovum is that sperm is a male gamete, small, with a tail and DNA in the head. In contrast, the ovum is a female gamete, large and spherical, with DNA in the nucleus.
authorImageKrati Saraswat23 May, 2025
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Difference between Sperm and Ovum

Difference Between Sperm and Ovum: Sexual reproduction requires two fundamental components: sperm and ovum. Sperm is the male reproductive cell, whereas the ovum is the female reproductive cell. These two cells differ significantly in terms of their properties and activities, and knowing their distinctions is important to understanding the sexual reproduction process. Read the article to get details about the difference between Sperm and Ovum.

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Difference Between Sperm and Ovum Overview

The ovary of a female produces the ovum, a female cell. The testis produces sperm, which is a male cell. Sperm cells are the tiniest cells in the male body. The ovum, commonly known as an egg cell, is the most considerable cell in the female body. The male gamete is a motile, long, flagellated cell divided into four parts: the head, neck, middle, and tail. The cytoplasm is abundant. The plasma membrane surrounds sperm. The nucleus includes X or Y chromosomes. The female gamete, whose cells are spherical spheres and non-motile, but not divided into distinct areas. Cytoplasm is found in modest levels. Ovum is found in egg envelopes. The nucleus includes X chromosomes, which serve as sex chromosomes.

Difference Between Sperm and Ovum

The two most essential cells in the reproductive system of humans are sperm and ovum, the former being a male reproductive cell and the second a female reproductive cell. These cells are responsible for fertilization by fusion and creating a zygote. The complete difference between sperm and ovum is given in the table below.
Difference between Sperm and Ovum
Basis Sperm Ovum
Definition The sperm is a male reproductive cell or gamete. The ovum is a female reproductive cell or gamete.
Size It is small, typically measuring 50-100 micrometers. It is large, typically measuring 100-150 micrometers.
Shape It is long and narrow, with a tail-like structure. It is spherical.
Genetic Material It contains genetic material, or DNA, in the head. It contains genetic material or DNA, in the nucleus
Protective Structure It is protected by a cap-like structure called the acrosome. It is surrounded by a protective layer called the zona pellucida.
Production Regulation It is regulated by hormones released by the hypothalamus and pituitary glands in the brain. It is released cyclically due to hormonal changes in the body.

Sperm

Sperm is a male gamete or reproductive cell essential to human and animal reproduction. Animals generate motile sperm cells with a tail, known as a flagellum, and these are termed spermatozoa. On the other hand, non-motile sperm cells, known as spermatia, are produced by algae and fungi. Certain plants, including ferns and gymnosperms, have motile sperm, whereas the blooming group has non-motile sperm inside the pollen. The 23 chromosomes of a human sperm cell, which is haploid, combine with the 23 chromosomes of an ovum, or female egg, to generate a diploid cell.
The epididymis stores sperm, which is expelled from the penis during ejaculation together with a fluid known as semen. Sperm cells may be classified into two types: heads and tails. The head has a nucleus with densely coiled chromatin fibers and is surrounded by a narrow, flattened sac called an acrosome. Acrosomes contain enzymes that aid in penetrating the female egg or ovum. The head of a sperm also contains vacuoles. On the other hand, the tail, also known as the flagellum, is the most extended component of the sperm and moves in a wave-like pattern, allowing the sperm to swim and penetrate the egg.

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Ovum

The ovum is a reproductive cell. It is found in most animals, including humans, and is also known as an egg cell or, in the plural, an ova. The ovum is not mobile; during fertilization, it fuses with the sperm to produce a zygote, or diploid cell, which has the potential to develop into a new creature. An animal's immature ovum is referred to as an ovule. Mammals are born with many ova, which develop during oogenesis. All animals, including humans, have internal fertilization of the ovum. Without a microscope, it is visible to the unaided eye and is among the biggest cells in the human body. In humans, it has a diameter of around 0.1 mm. The core of an ovum contains a substance known as the yolk or ooplasm.
The germinal vesicle is the name of the nucleus found in the ooplasm, while the germinal spot is the name of the nucleolus. Ooplasm has two yolks, the nutritive yolk (deutoplasm) and the formative yolk.  The nutritive yolk comprises spherical granules of fatty and albuminoidal components in the cytoplasm. The formative yolk is the cytoplasm of a typical animal cell.
The latter aids in nourishing the embryo throughout the early stages of the mammalian embryonic phase. However, the nutritious yolk found in bird eggs is sufficient to provide the chick with appropriate nourishment during the incubation period.
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Difference Between Sperm and Ovum FAQs

What is the difference between sperm and ovum?

Sperm is the male gamete produced in the testis, while the ovum is the female gamete produced in the ovary. The ovum, also known as the egg cell, is the most considerable cell in the female body, whereas the sperm is the smallest cell in the male body.

Is the sperm the baby or the egg?

Conception happens when a sperm penetrates the egg, creating a zygote. The zygote holds all the DNA required for a baby, half from the mother's egg and half from the father's sperm.

Is all male sperm female?

The male can produce two types of sperm: one carrying the X chromosome and the other the Y chromosome. If the egg receives an X chromosome, the individual is female (XX); if it gets a Y chromosome, it is male (XY).

How does sperm develop?

Sperm development occurs in the testicles within tiny tubes called seminiferous tubules. At birth, these tubules contain simple round cells, which transform into sperm cells during puberty under testosterone and other hormones.

How big is a woman's egg?

The human egg, or ovum, is one of the largest cells in the human body, measuring approximately 0.12 mm in diameter. You would need nine eggs to reach a millimeter in length; if laid side by side, 100 eggs would form a line 12 mm (1.2 cm) long.
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