# Sperm. are they animals? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [August 21, 2002, 4:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sperm-are-they-animals/124867 "2002-08-21T04:54:43Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![The\_Flying\_Dutchman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/9fc348/32.png) [@The\_Flying\_Dutchman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Flying_Dutchman)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2002, 4:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sperm-are-they-animals/124867/1 "2002-08-21T04:54:43Z")
To watch them under a microscope you would certainly think they have a purposeful mobility equal to or greater than many single cell animals. So why can’t sperm be classified as animals? ---
**Author:** ![clairobscur](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/839c29/32.png) [@clairobscur](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/clairobscur)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2002, 4:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sperm-are-they-animals/124867/2 "2002-08-21T04:56:18Z")
Errrr…Because they can’t reproduce? ---
**Author:** ![Gary\_T](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/3ec8ea/32.png) [@Gary\_T](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gary_T)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2002, 5:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sperm-are-they-animals/124867/3 "2002-08-21T05:02:04Z")
They are not complete cells, and do not perform all the functions normally included in the definition of an organism. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Flying\_Dutchman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/9fc348/32.png) [@The\_Flying\_Dutchman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Flying_Dutchman)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2002, 5:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sperm-are-they-animals/124867/4 "2002-08-21T05:03:22Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by clairobscur \* > \*\*Errrr…Because they can’t reproduce? \*\* Is a mule not an animal? ---
**Author:** ![t-keela](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/a3d4f5/32.png) [@t-keela](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/t-keela)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2002, 5:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sperm-are-they-animals/124867/5 "2002-08-21T05:06:44Z")
What the hell do you mean…are they animals? Are you referring to animal sperm or human sperm? If the latter, then the answer would be: They are us. The male germ cell or gamete. It carries half of our DNA to our other half and determines our sex. (UH-OH This sounds like a precurser to a Roe v. Wade argument) ---
**Author:** ![Tars\_Tarkas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/6a8cbe/32.png) [@Tars\_Tarkas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tars_Tarkas)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2002, 5:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sperm-are-they-animals/124867/6 "2002-08-21T05:07:31Z")
They are one celled life forms, like every other cell in your body (except they are haploid). And what is with all the sperm questions tonight? JeeZ!! It’s like someone Jizzed all over GQ!! ---
**Author:** ![Blalron](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/35a633/32.png) [@Blalron](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Blalron)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2002, 5:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sperm-are-they-animals/124867/7 "2002-08-21T05:16:45Z")
Looks like there’s a sudden surge of interest in sperm on these boards. LOL. Sperm don’t classify as animals because (1) They don’t eat. (2) They don’t grow (3) They don’t reproduce (as in, they don’t make more sperm) (4) They are gametes ---
**Author:** ![NeutronJack](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/neutronjack/32/4134_2.png) [@NeutronJack](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NeutronJack)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2002, 5:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sperm-are-they-animals/124867/8 "2002-08-21T05:40:57Z")
> [@](#): > > They don’t reproduce (as in, they don’t make more sperm) Sure they do. They reproduce indirectly, which is common: How chickens reproduce: - Chickens make eggs. - Eggs make more chickens. How people reproduce: - People (ok, guys) make sperm. - Sperm makes more people. How sperm reproduce: - Sperm makes people. - People make more sperm. > [@](#): > > (1) They don’t eat. > (2) They don’t grow Well, ok. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Flying\_Dutchman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/9fc348/32.png) [@The\_Flying\_Dutchman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Flying_Dutchman)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2002, 5:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sperm-are-they-animals/124867/9 "2002-08-21T05:54:32Z")
Good one on reproduction **MrNeutron** With regard to the comment “they don’t grow”, I would ask "what is an immature sperm then? With regard to the comment “they don’t eat”, I would ask "How do they get the energy to be mobile? Can’t they aquire enery like bacteria? ---
**Author:** ![Spit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/76d3ee/32.png) [@Spit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spit)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2002, 5:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sperm-are-they-animals/124867/10 "2002-08-21T05:57:34Z")
**re: Sperm. Are they animals?** Great. Now PETA is gonna be after me for mass murder. ---
**Author:** ![Wearia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/13edae/32.png) [@Wearia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wearia)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2002, 6:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sperm-are-they-animals/124867/11 "2002-08-21T06:01:52Z")
Stop me before I kill again! Anyhoo, IMHO I think they are just as alive as a virus or bacteria. Still I don’t think they are animals by any means. They are barely organisms. ---
**Author:** ![Tars\_Tarkas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/6a8cbe/32.png) [@Tars\_Tarkas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tars_Tarkas)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2002, 6:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sperm-are-they-animals/124867/12 "2002-08-21T06:05:20Z")
Immature sperm cell picture on this page: [http://www.med.utah.edu/andrology/photo\_gallery.html](http://www.med.utah.edu/andrology/photo_gallery.html) Pictures of more kinds of sperm than you ever want to see: [http://wwwvet.murdoch.edu.au/spermatology/images.html](http://wwwvet.murdoch.edu.au/spermatology/images.html) Sperm is powered by [Mitochondria](http://www.microscopy.fsu.edu/cells/animals/mitochondria.html) in its tail. Mitochondria in the tail: (scroll down) [http://www.mrs.umn.edu/~goochv/CellBio/lectures/meiosis/meiosis.html](http://www.mrs.umn.edu/~goochv/CellBio/lectures/meiosis/meiosis.html) All the mitochondria is in the tail, and only the head enters the egg cell, so all human mitochondria comes from the mother. Spermatogenesis is also covered in the last link. ---
**Author:** ![Darwins\_Finch](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/darwins_finch/32/20304_2.png) [@Darwins\_Finch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darwins_Finch)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2002, 6:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sperm-are-they-animals/124867/13 "2002-08-21T06:07:57Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by grienspace \* > **With regard to the comment “they don’t grow”, I would ask "what is an immature sperm then?** A [spermatid](http://handlin.cvm.okstate.edu/histology/MR/HiMRP4.htm). \*\* > [@](#): > > With regard to the comment “they don’t eat”, I would ask "How do they get the energy to be mobile? Can’t they aquire enery like bacteria? \*\* No. They simply die after a short time. ---
**Author:** ![Sue\_Duhnym](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/91b2a8/32.png) [@Sue\_Duhnym](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sue_Duhnym)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2002, 7:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sperm-are-they-animals/124867/14 "2002-08-21T07:17:38Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Spit \* > **re: Sperm. Are they animals?** > Great. > > Now PETA is gonna be after me for mass murder. Bahahaha! I humbly request the use of that as a sig. Please. ---
**Author:** ![Sue\_Duhnym](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/91b2a8/32.png) [@Sue\_Duhnym](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sue_Duhnym)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2002, 7:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sperm-are-they-animals/124867/15 "2002-08-21T07:20:37Z")
And Jebus, you’re name is **Spit** too! ---
**Author:** ![Sue\_Duhnym](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/91b2a8/32.png) [@Sue\_Duhnym](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sue_Duhnym)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2002, 7:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sperm-are-they-animals/124867/16 "2002-08-21T07:22:13Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Sue Duhnym \* > \*\*And Jebus, you’re name is **Spit** too! \*\* I mean _your_, of course. It’s just that I’m laughing too hard to tpye. ---
**Author:** ![Spit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/76d3ee/32.png) [@Spit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spit)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2002, 7:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sperm-are-they-animals/124867/17 "2002-08-21T07:24:41Z")
Wow. I would be honored. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Genseric](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Genseric](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Genseric)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2002, 7:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sperm-are-they-animals/124867/18 "2002-08-21T07:50:46Z")
Aside from the question whether spermatozoa are true life forms, are any single celled life forms generally considered animals? It’s been a while since I was in school, and I think they’ve reclassified some of the kingdoms, but it was my understanding that single-celled life forms were not _Animalia_. For example: Animal: A multicellular organism of the kingdom Animalia… (American Heritage Dictionary) Or is this one of those “Spiders are insects”, “Mushrooms are plants”, “Dolphins are fish” things? ---
**Author:** ![stockton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b5a626/32.png) [@stockton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/stockton)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2002, 11:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sperm-are-they-animals/124867/19 "2002-08-21T23:27:21Z")
**Spit** , kindly add my name to your fan club list. Priceless. The only way that could’ve been funnier is if your username was **Swallow**. Kudos, pal. ---
**Author:** ![Slugworth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/4bbf92/32.png) [@Slugworth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Slugworth)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2002, 2:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sperm-are-they-animals/124867/20 "2002-08-22T02:00:38Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by MrNeutron \* > \*\*Sure they do. They reproduce indirectly, which is common: > > How chickens reproduce: > > - Chickens make eggs. > - Eggs make more chickens. > > How people reproduce: > > - People (ok, guys) make sperm. > - Sperm makes more people. > > How sperm reproduce: > > - Sperm makes people. > - People make more sperm. > Well, ok. \*\* Are you suggesting that eggs are animals? [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sperm-are-they-animals/124867.md?page=2)