It also provides nutrients for the embryo once it is formed until it sinks into the uterus where the placenta can take over. In the human body, the ovum is about the size of a sesame seed, or approximately 0.12 mm in diameter. The reason why it is so large is because it contains all organelles, materials, and nutrients for the growth and development of the embryo as well as a layer of padding which protects valuable information in the nucleus. So what kind of organelles do ovum cells have and what are their functions? Nucleus
The nucleus controls the entire ovum cell and it contains most of the genetic material in the form of chromosomes. This is where the genes are situated when the sperm cell enters the ovum. Both the egg and the sperm have half the number of chromosomes of a regular cell. For example, in a human reproductive system, the sperm and the egg have 23 chromosomes, so once they combine during fertilization and create the embryo it will have the normal 46 chromosomes. The human baby will also receive its genetic information and inherit traits from its mom and dad from the nucleus.