Fertilisation, conceptual computer artwork. Sperm cell depicted against a flash of light representing the moment of conception (fertilisation). A sperm cell (spermatozoon) is the male reproductive cell. It consists of a tapered head and a tail. The genetic material is contained within the head and the tail provides motion for the sperm to travel towards the female sex cell (ovum). Conception, or fertilisation, is the fusion of the two sex cells, leading to the formation of an embryo.