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Spermatozoa

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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.

Primary Medical Reviewer Anne C. Poinier, MD - Internal Medicine
Specialist Medical Reviewer Christopher G. Wood, MD, FACS - Urology/Oncology
Last Updated January 26, 2009

WebMD Medical Reference from Healthwise

Last Updated: January 26, 2009
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