Gamete

/ɡˈæmiːt/

/ˈɡæmit/, /ɡəˈmit/

[noun]

Gamete

[NOUN]

a special cell used for reproduction, with sperm cells being the male gametes and egg cells being the female gametes

What is a "gamete"?

A gamete is a specialized reproductive cell involved in sexual reproduction. In humans, the two types of gametes are sperm cells in males and egg cells (ova) in females. Gametes carry half the genetic material of an individual and are produced through a process called gametogenesis. During fertilization, a sperm cell fertilizes an egg cell, resulting in the formation of a zygote, which then develops into an embryo. Gametes are crucial for the transmission of genetic information from one generation to the next, playing a vital role in human reproduction and the diversity of offspring.

Examples

1. Those new cells, with just one set of chromosomes, are gametes.

2. The gametes only carry one allele for a gene.

3. Thus each gamete gets only one allele.

4. They produce these gametes.