# 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:** 10\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![DocCathode](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/doccathode/32/18773_2.png) [@DocCathode](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DocCathode)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2002, 2:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sperm-are-they-animals/124867/21 "2002-08-22T02:30:48Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Genseric \* > \*\*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_. > \*\* I thought amoeba were still classified as animals. hmmm IIRC we now have Plants Animals Monerans and Fungi Protists And I know there’s at least one more kingdom. Must research! To the Cathode Mobile! ---
**Author:** ![DocCathode](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/doccathode/32/18773_2.png) [@DocCathode](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DocCathode)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2002, 2:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sperm-are-they-animals/124867/22 "2002-08-22T02:50:52Z")
:smack: :smack: Preliminary research indicates that all members of Animalia are multicellular. This also means that spermatozoa are not animals. ``` [Cite From This Here Site](http://web.bio.utk.edu/guffey/Biodiversitysite/Taxonomy/High_order.html) ``` > [@](#): > > \*\*Whittaker’s Five Kingdoms: > > Bacteria Single-celled prokaryotes. Two subkingdoms: Archaea and Eubacteria > > Protoctista Single-celled and multicelled eukaryotes lacking lacking tissues or substantial cellular differentiation > > Plantae Mostly autotrophic multicelled eukaryotes with distinct alternation of generations, reproduction by spores, and with a more complex organization than Protoctista > > Animalia Heterotrophic multicelled eukaryotes with a more complex organization than Protoctista > > Fungi Single-celled and multicelled osmotrophic eukaryotes with a more complex organization than Protoctista \*\* This site is geared more towards lay people [TaxonomyArama](http://www.perspective.com/nature/index.html) I’d also like to point out that I graduated from WSU, Weird Science University, with a degree in EtherPsychology, not EtherBiology. ---
**Author:** ![DocCathode](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/doccathode/32/18773_2.png) [@DocCathode](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DocCathode)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2002, 2:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sperm-are-they-animals/124867/23 "2002-08-22T02:57:49Z")
:smack: :smack: Preliminary research indicates that all members of Animalia are multicellular. This also means that spermatozoa are not animals. ``` [Cite From This Here Site](http://web.bio.utk.edu/guffey/Biodiversitysite/Taxonomy/High_order.html) ``` > [@](#): > > \*\*Whittaker’s Five Kingdoms: > > Bacteria Single-celled prokaryotes. Two subkingdoms: Archaea and Eubacteria > > Protoctista Single-celled and multicelled eukaryotes lacking lacking tissues or substantial cellular differentiation > > Plantae Mostly autotrophic multicelled eukaryotes with distinct alternation of generations, reproduction by spores, and with a more complex organization than Protoctista > > Animalia Heterotrophic multicelled eukaryotes with a more complex organization than Protoctista > > Fungi Single-celled and multicelled osmotrophic eukaryotes with a more complex organization than Protoctista \*\* This site is geared more towards lay people [TaxonomyArama](http://www.perspective.com/nature/index.html) I’d also like to point out that I graduated from WSU, Weird Science University, with a degree in EtherPsychology, not EtherBiology. ---
**Author:** ![DocCathode](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/doccathode/32/18773_2.png) [@DocCathode](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DocCathode)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2002, 3:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sperm-are-they-animals/124867/24 "2002-08-22T03:05:43Z")
:smack: :smack: Preliminary research indicates that all members of Animalia are multicellular. This also means that spermatozoa are not animals. ``` [Cite From This Here Site](http://web.bio.utk.edu/guffey/Biodiversitysite/Taxonomy/High_order.html) ``` > [@](#): > > \*\*Whittaker’s Five Kingdoms: > > Bacteria Single-celled prokaryotes. Two subkingdoms: Archaea and Eubacteria > > Protoctista Single-celled and multicelled eukaryotes lacking lacking tissues or substantial cellular differentiation > > Plantae Mostly autotrophic multicelled eukaryotes with distinct alternation of generations, reproduction by spores, and with a more complex organization than Protoctista > > Animalia Heterotrophic multicelled eukaryotes with a more complex organization than Protoctista > > Fungi Single-celled and multicelled osmotrophic eukaryotes with a more complex organization than Protoctista \*\* This site is geared more towards lay people [TaxonomyArama](http://www.perspective.com/nature/index.html) I’d also like to point out that I graduated from WSU, Weird Science University, with a degree in EtherPsychology, not EtherBiology. ---
**Author:** ![Dr.Rieux](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/aeb1de/32.png) [@Dr.Rieux](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr.Rieux)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2002, 4:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sperm-are-they-animals/124867/25 "2002-08-22T04:09:20Z")
Hey, doc–did you minor in Multiposting? 😉 ---
**Author:** ![David\_Simmons](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/9de053/32.png) [@David\_Simmons](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/David_Simmons)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2002, 4:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sperm-are-they-animals/124867/26 "2002-08-22T04:10:33Z")
> [@](#): > > \*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. \*\* Gee, **MrNeutron** this is supposed to be the Straight Dope. How chickens reproduce: -The hen makes eggs. -The rooster makes sperm. -the sperm fertilizes the egg. -voila, chicks (sooner or later). How people reproduce: -The woman makes eggs. -The man makes sperm. -The sperm fertilizes the egg. -voila, babies (sooner or later). The only difference is the development of the chick embryo takes place outside the hen. And sperm by itself doesn’t make more people. ---
**Author:** ![Shade](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/2bfe46/32.png) [@Shade](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shade)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2002, 11:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sperm-are-they-animals/124867/27 "2002-08-22T11:19:46Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Sue Duhnym \* > \*\* > > Bahahaha! I humbly request the use of that as a sig. Please. \*\* Can I use ‘spit’s a wanker’ then? 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Mockingbird](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c68b51/32.png) [@Mockingbird](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mockingbird)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2002, 7:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sperm-are-they-animals/124867/28 "2002-10-24T07:37:33Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Spit \* > \*\ ***re: Sperm. Are they animals?** > Great. > > Now PETA is gonna be after me for mass murder. \*\* Damn. I’ve swallowed so many of them I must have committed GENOCIDE!! ---
**Author:** ![G.Cornelius](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/b782af/32.png) [@G.Cornelius](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/G.Cornelius)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2002, 12:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sperm-are-they-animals/124867/29 "2002-10-24T12:11:25Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by grienspace \* > \*\* > > Is a mule not an animal? \*\* It seems that they are: [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/2290491.stm](http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/2290491.stm) ---
**Author:** ![Eleusis](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/f4b2a3/32.png) [@Eleusis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eleusis)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2002, 12:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sperm-are-they-animals/124867/30 "2002-10-24T12:17:18Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Hastur \* > \*\* > > Damn. I’ve swallowed so many of them I must have committed GENOCIDE!! \*\* A/S/L ? 😃 Actually, I think you’ve comitted _spermocide_. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sperm-are-they-animals/124867.md?page=1)