Definition of sperm

The word "sperm" derives from the ancient Greek word "σπορμα" (sporum), which originally referred to the seed or reproductive structure found in plants. The Greek word was borrowed by Latin, where it was used to describe the small, motile reproductive cells found in animals, specifically in an invertebrate group calledprotosteroids. The modern meaning of "sperm" as referring specifically to the male gamete in animals first appeared in the 17th century, when the term "spermatica corpuscles" (little seed bodies) was coined by the Dutch anatomist Regnier de Graaf. In 1677, English scientist Robert Hooke used the term "spermatus" to describe male reproductive cells in humans. The word "sperm" became commonly used in English after the publication of Carl Linnaeus' influential work Systema Naturae in 1735, in which he adopted the Latin definition of sperm. Although the use of the word "semen" to describe male ejaculate is still widely used in the context of human reproduction, in scientific contexts, the term "sperm" is preferred as it specifically refers to the individual, motile cells within the semen rather than the entire ejaculate.