Sperm cells are the male reproductive cell. They consist of a head and a tail. The head of the sperm cell contains chromosomes carrying genetic information that will be passed on to the offspring, assuming the sperm fertilizes an egg cell. The tail is used to move the sperm. Sperm cells have 23 chromosomes. This is true of egg cells as well.
Chromosomes are molecules made of protein and DNA. Human beings contain 46 chromosomes all together, and they get them from both their mother and from their father. These chromosomes are what determine the genetic make up of an individual. The sex cells of the reproductive system are called gametes.
Chromosomes are thread-like structures located inside the nucleus of animal and plant cells. Each chromosome is made of protein and a single molecule of deoxyribonucleic acid DNA. Passed from parents to offspring, DNA contains the specific instructions that make each type of living creature unique. The term chromosome comes from the Greek words for color chroma and body soma. Scientists gave this name to chromosomes because they are cell structures, or bodies, that are strongly stained by some colorful dyes used in research.
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