Summary:
- The process of producing mature sperm is called spermatogenesis.
- Sperm are produced in the seminiferous tubules of the testes and become mature in the epididymis.
- The entire process takes about 9 to 10 weeks.
- Hundreds of millions of sperm are released with each ejaculation.
- The head of the mature sperm consists mainly of the nucleus, which carries copies of the father’s chromosomes.
- The part of the head called the acrosome produces enzymes that help the sperm head penetrate an egg.
- Mitochondria in the connecting piece produce the energy needed for movement.