Question

Describe the process of spermiation.

A. During spermiation, a secondary spermatocyte becomes a spermatid.
B. During spermiation, a sperm loses its tail.
C. During spermiation, a spermatid becomes a sperm.
D. During spermiation, a primary spermatocyte becomes a secondary spermatocyte.
E. During spermiation, a sperm loses its attachment to the nurse cell and enters the lumen of the seminiferous tubule.

Answer 1

Spermiation is the final step of spermatogenesis where mature sperm cells detach from the Sertoli cells and enter the lumen of the seminiferous tubules.

Step-by-step explanation:

The process of spermiation is the final stage of spermatogenesis, which takes place within the seminiferous tubules of the testes. Answer E describes it accurately: During spermiation, a sperm loses its attachment to the nurse cell and enters the lumen of the seminiferous tubule. To elaborate, as a part of spermatogenesis, spermatogonia (stem cells) initially divide mitotically to produce primary spermatocytes, which then go through meiosis I to become secondary spermatocytes.

The secondary spermatocytes quickly undergo meiosis II to form spermatids. These haploid spermatids then undergo a transformation during spermiogenesis, where they develop a flagellum (tail) and compact head, turning them into spermatozoa (mature sperm). These mature sperm cells detach from the Sertoli cells (also known as nurse cells) and are released into the lumen of the seminiferous tubules, marking the completion of spermiation.