Gametes are reproductive cells in animals and plants that carry half the genetic material necessary to form a new organism. They are haploid cells, meaning each gamete contains only one copy of each chromosome. In animals, the female gametes are called ova or egg cells, and the male gametes are called sperm. During fertilization, a sperm and an ovum fuse to form a diploid organism with a full set of chromosomes
. Gametes are produced through a specialized cell division process called meiosis, which reduces the chromosome number by half, resulting in four haploid cells from a diploid parent cell. Female gamete formation is called oogenesis, and male gamete formation is called spermatogenesis. Ova are generally larger and non-motile, while sperm are smaller and motile due to a tail-like structure called a flagellum that allows movement
. There are two main types of gametes based on size and motility: microgametes (small, motile sperm) and macrogametes (large, non-motile eggs). The fusion of two gametes during sexual reproduction restores the diploid chromosome number in the offspring
. In summary:
- Gametes = sex or reproductive cells (sperm in males, ova in females)
- Haploid cells with one set of chromosomes
- Produced by meiosis
- Fuse during fertilization to form a diploid zygote
- Female gametes are large and non-motile; male gametes are small and motile
