Question

Differentiate between male and female gametes.

Answer 1

Hint: Sexual reproduction is the production of offspring by the fusion of specialized male and female cells called gametes.

Complete answer:

S.no.	Male Gametes	Female Gametes
1.	The male gametes are known as sperms and are produced by the process of spermatogenesis.	The female gametes are known as the egg or ovum and are produced by oogenesis.
2.	They are usually small and motile.	They are large and nonmotile.
3.	They are produced in large numbers.	Only a single gamete is formed at a time.
4.	In humans, the male gametes decide the sexuality of the offspring.	Female gametes do not determine sexuality in humans.

Additional Information:
The process by which male and female gametes combine together to form a zygote is fertilization. In humans, these gametes can only be produced by an individual when he or she reaches the age of puberty. It is an age in which the structural development of a person takes place that leads to sexual development. Like in male’s appearance of facial and pubic hairs, change in voice, etc while in females’ onset of menstruation and development of breasts are some common changes. Various hormones are responsible for these processes. The scrotum is the organ that is present outside the body and is responsible for the production of sperm in males while ovaries produce ovum in females by the process known as gametogenesis. Sperms are formed throughout life but when a female reaches the menopause she stops releasing ovum.

Notes: The release of sperm along with other fluids in males is known as ejaculation. These gametes are haploid that means they have half the number of chromosomes. Gametes are classified on the basis of their morphology. Isogametes are those which are similar to each other present in Monocystis. Anisogametes as found in mammals are dissimilar. In oogamy, the female gamete is a large motile while the male gamete is small and motile like in red algae.