What's the difference between sperm and semen?

Sperm -- or spermatozoa -- is the cell that impregnates the egg -- or ovum.

Semen is the vessel which contains the sperm, and helps ensure the sperm will survive long enough to reach that ovum and eventually lead to a pregnancy.

Spermatozoa is to ovum as water is to ice.

(Here's a little bit of trivia: the sperm comprises the smallest cell among humans. The largest is the female egg.)

Then there's "pre cum" (or more specifically "pre-ejaculate") which is produced by the cowper's gland at the base of the penis. It produces a clear, slippery, fluid and typically means a guy is extremely sexually aroused. It's goal is to clear out any drops of urine from a guy's urethra (urine will kill sperm) and to provide a natural lubricant for both you and him.

Semen provides lubricant, proteins, and hormones to help provide enough energy to sperm to survive for a couple of days while they hang out and wait for an egg to appear.

It's also why if you want to help reduce your chances of getting pregant or contracting an STD, that you not only take birth control yourself, but also insist on your partner using a condom that has a spermicide.

In addition, the absense of semen does not mean the absense of sperm. Sperm CAN appear in pre-ejaculate (one of the reasons why the "rhythm method" for birth control doesn't work), and the amoiunt and volume of semen doesn't mean that there's any sperm in there either. (It's called "motility" and some guys are infertile in that they either don't produce any sperm or the sperm will never get anyone pregnant. Doesn't apply to STDs though.)

semen is the fluid, sperm are cells in the semen get a microscope and a guy to volunteer you a sample to study

I did a little research to make sure I said this right. Sperm is made in the testicles. The testicles only hold sperm. The prostrate gland secretes semen (the liquid portion of ejaculation) and when sperm are released they mix with the semen and both are secreted during ejaculation. The sperm is the DNA that comes from the testicles but it needs a very special kind of fluid to mix with that will help is survive and travel the distance to where it can fertilize the egg and the DNA of the woman, and when that takes place a new life will immediately begin. Hope this helps.

Semen carries the sperm. If a guy has a vasectomy the semen still comes out but the path to the sperm is closed so therefore "he shoots blanks"

Semen is the white stuff when you come and sperm is the cells in it.

semen is the fluid a guy ejaculates.

sperm are tiny little cells in the fluid.

it's kinda like how ice floats in water: the semen's like the water, and the ice is like the sperm cells.