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Name the Smallest and Largest Cell in the Human Body

By BYJU'S Exam Prep

Updated on: November 9th, 2023

The smallest and largest cells in the human body are the sperm (male gamete) and the Ovum (Female Egg cell) respectively. The size of the sperm cell is around 4 micrometres. The female egg cell is 20 times larger than sperm cells and has a diameter of roughly 0.1 millimetres.

The nerve cell is the most extended cell in the body. Female Egg Cells are also known as reproductive cells in the female body. Cells are in many shapes and sizes because of the different functions performed by various cells.

Smallest and Largest Cell in the Human Body

Different sizes and shapes are found in cells. Different tasks are carried out by various cells resulting in different shapes and sizes. Sperm is the smallest cell in the human body followed by Mycoplasma which is also small (PPLO-Pleuro pneumonia-like organisms). Its size is around 10 micrometres.

Female egg cells are the largest cells. The nerve cell is the longest type of cell. The female ovum is the largest cell in the human body. Male gametes, or sperm, are the smallest cells in the human body.

  • The word ova, which means “egg” in Latin, is another name for egg cells in animals.
  • The ovum is the only way to refer to egg cells in the human body.
  • The ovum of a young mammal is referred to as an ovule.
  • The reproductive glands of female vertebrates that produce eggs are called female gonads, sometimes referred to as ovaries.
  • Mammalian ova develop throughout the oogenesis process and are present at birth.

Types of Muscle Cells

The primary cells that influence how the body moves are the muscles. Our body has three different kinds of muscle cells, including:

  • Voluntary Muscle or Skeletal Muscle
  • Involuntary Muscle or Smooth Muscle
  • Cardiac muscle

History of Cells

The cell was found by Robert Hooke in 1665. Under a compound microscope, Robert Hooke examined a piece of bottle cork and detected minute structures that resembled tiny rooms. As a result, he gave these “rooms” the moniker “cells.” However, the restricted magnification of his compound microscope prevented him from seeing any finer features of the structure. This restriction led Hooke to the conclusion that these were non-living things.

  • Later, utilising a different compound microscope with a higher magnification, Anton Van Leeuwenhoek examined cells. This time, he observed that the cells were moving in some way (motility).
  • Leeuwenhoek came to the conclusion that these minuscule objects were “living” as a result. Eventually, following a variety of other findings, these objects were given the term “animalcules.”
  • Robert Brown, a Scottish botanist, made the first discoveries about the composition of cells in 1883. He was able to explain the nucleus found in orchid cells.

Summary:

Name the Smallest and Largest Cell in the Human Body

Male gametes or the Sperm cells are the smallest cells and the Ovum or the female egg cell is the largest cell in the human body. Whereas the smallest cell is the male gametes, sperm. The nerve cell is the longest cell in the body. Its diameter is around 0.1 mm. In animals, follicle cells produce eggs in the female ovary.

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