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Which Is the Largest Cell in the Human Body?

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Quick Answer

The ovum (egg cell) is the largest human cell, about 0.1 mm in diameter.

The Full Story

The human ovum, or egg cell, is the largest cell in the body at roughly 0.1 mm (100 micrometres) in diameter — just barely visible to the naked eye. By contrast, the smallest human cell is the sperm cell (head about 5 micrometres). Red blood cells are about 7 micrometres across. The ovum's large size accommodates the nutrients and organelles needed to support early embryonic development after fertilisation. Despite being the largest single cell, it is still far smaller than the ostrich egg — the largest cell of any living animal.

Key Facts

1.A woman is born with about 1–2 million egg cells; by puberty, about 300,000 remain.
2.Only about 400 eggs are released during a woman's reproductive lifetime.
3.The longest human cells are motor neurons, which can stretch over a metre from the spinal cord to the toes.

YouTube Angle

Suggested video title for this topic:

"The Biggest Cell in Your Body — Why the Egg Cell Is So Large"

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