what are germ cells

Germ cells are specialized cells that give rise to the gametes of an organism that reproduces sexually. Germ cells are also known as the sex cells, which are the eggs and sperm that sexually reproducing organisms use to pass on their genomes from one generation to the next. Germ cells are pluripotent, meaning they have the ability to differentiate into many different cell types. Germ cells are the only cells within an organism that contribute genes to offspring, and they are highly specialized cells that form gametes. Germline stem cells sustain gamete production, both oogenesis (egg production) and spermatogenesis (sperm production), in many organisms. Germ cells are immortal, meaning they possess unique strategies to protect and transmit the genetic information contained within them indefinitely. Germ cell tumors are a rare cancer that can affect people at all ages, and they account for 3% of all cancers in children and adolescents 0–19 years old.