spermatozoon /spur′mətəzō″ən, spərmat′-/ pl. spermatozoa [Gk, sperma + zoon, animal] , a mature male germ cell that develops in the seminiferous tubules of the testes. Resembling a tadpole, it is about 50 μm (1/500 inch) long and has a head with a nucleus, a neck, and a tail that provides propulsion. Developed in vast numbers after puberty, spermatozoa are the generative component of the semen. See also spermatogenesis.
