Question

Where are mitochondria found in sperm?

Answer 1

Hint: Sperm is basically the male reproductive gamete which helps the male during the sexual mode of reproduction. It is mainly made up of sperm cells and bodily secretions. Sperm is a microscopic structure which is present in the male body. It mainly comprises a head, neck, middle piece, and tail.

Complete answer:

The sperm head is made up of an elongated nucleus that is haploid and its anterior portion is covered by a structure which is similar to a cap and it is called the acrosome. The middle piece contains the mitochondria, The main function of a mitochondria in a male sperm is to provide the energy for the movement of the tail that would facilitate sperm motility which is a very essential factor for fertilization.
1. Sperm motility is defined as the swimming of sperm from the female genital tract to the fallopian tube where the fertilization takes place.
2. The sperm mainly comprises 4 parts namely, the head, neck, a middle piece, and a tail.
The middle piece of the sperm cell is its central part and it is located between the head and the tail of the sperm. The middle piece usually takes about 10 percent of the total length of the sperm.
3. The sperm head that carries the genetic material whereas the middle piece contains a large number of bundles of tightly packed mitochondria whose main function is to provide the energy required for swimming of the sperm.
4. In addition to providing the energy required for the swimming of the sperm, these mitochondria also tend to play a very important role in controlled cell death which is known as apoptosis.

Thus, Mitochondria is present in the middle part of the sperm.

Note:
The bodily secretions which take place in the sperm, mainly include the prostatic fluid and the seminal fluid. The main function of the prostate fluid is to neutralize the acidity of the vagina. Seminal fluid is made up of fatty acids, proteins, and fructose.