A differential sense amplifier for sensing data stored in a plurality of memory cells of a memory cell array, including a first CMOS inverter having an output connected to a first bit line and an input connected to a second bit line complementary to the first bit line, and a second CMOS inverter having an output connected to the second bit line and an input connected to the first bit line. Each CMOS inverter includes a pull-up transistor and a pull-down transistor, and the sense amplifier has a pair of pass-gate transistors arranged to connect the first and second bit lines to a first and a second global bit lines. Advantageously, the pass-gate transistors are constituted by the pull-up transistors or the pull-down transistors.