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The sex of a child produced when a sperm and egg join in humans is determined primarily by the sperm. Human beings have two sex chromosomes: X and Y. Females typically have two X chromosomes (XX), while males have one X and one Y chromosome (XY).

When fertilization occurs, the egg always contributes an X chromosome, because it has only X chromosomes to provide. The sperm, however, can contribute either an X or a Y chromosome. If a sperm carrying an X chromosome fertilizes the egg, the resulting combination will be XX, leading to a female child. Conversely, if a sperm carrying a Y chromosome fertilizes the egg, the combination will be XY, resulting in a male child.

Thus, it is the type of sperm that determines whether the offspring will be male or female, making the sperm the critical factor in this genetic outcome. Other options, such as the egg or environmental factors, do not have a role in determining the biological sex of the child in this context.