If there were only one sex, then mitochondria in each reproductive cell would start out on equal footing. They would need to fight it out every time. But with a two-sex system, one sex can always unilaterally disarm, surrendering its mitochondria for the sake of easier relations between the sexes. Male sperm cells are smaller than female eggs partly because they surrendered this mitochondrial battle long ago. Female mitochondria always win.
Even shorter version:
Problem: Female mitochondria (little things in the eggs) don't like other mitochondria to come in. Solution: Create a male. The sperm mitochondria are marked and killed.
Full article:
http://amos.indiana.edu/library/scripts/sexes.html
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