• Question: regarding the fruit fly has the longest sperm how long is it?

    Asked by madscientist101 to Gemma on 19 Jun 2011.
    • Photo: Gemma Sharp

      Gemma Sharp answered on 19 Jun 2011:

      Drosophila bifurca is the species with the longest sperm. It’s 58 milimetres long!!! Human sperm cells are only about 0.046 millimetres.

      The tail makes up most of the cell, and it’s delivered to the female by ‘traumatic insemination’ – the male pierces the female’s abdomin and inserts the sperm through the wound.

      Sounds pretty traumatic!

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