Sperm are among the most highly specialized cell types ever described. Such specialization is designed to get the sperm to the egg and to fuse with it. Germ Cell - Somatic Cell Interactions Sperm develop in association with specialized somatic cells. We shall examine this relationship in mammals.
Mammalian testes contain numerous seminiferous tubules.
Sertoli cells are radially distributed around the circumference of the seminiferous tubules. Spermatogonia are located between the Sertoli cells and the basal lamina. Thus, one sees circumferential zones of more advanced cells inside zones of less advanced cells. This translocation is mediated by the Sertoli cells. When the differentiated spermatozoa reach the tips of the Sertoli cells, they are released into the lumen of the tubule.