what is gametes

Gametes are reproductive cells of an organism, also known as sex cells. In animals, female gametes are called ova or egg cells, and male gametes are called sperm. Gametes are haploid cells, meaning that each cell carries only one copy of each chromosome. During fertilization, a sperm and an ovum unite to form a new diploid organism. Gametes are produced through a type of cell division called meiosis, in which a diploid parent cell undergoes one round of DNA replication followed by two separate cycles of nuclear division to produce four haploid cells. The ova mature in the ovaries of females, and the sperm develop in the testes of males. Each sperm cell is small and motile due to the flagellum, a tail-shaped structure that allows the cell to propel and move, while each egg cell is relatively large and non-motile.