Term for the germ cells of a living organism, i.e. egg cells (lat. ovum) in females and sperm cells (lat. spermatozoon) or pollen grains in males, which are used for sexual reproduction. Gametes each have a haploid (single) set of chromosomes, as they are formed in the course of meiosis. This cell division halves the previously double (diploid) chromosome set of the original cell and ensures that a complete diploid set is formed again when two gametes fuse.
The fusion of two gametes during fertilisation results in a zygote, which then carries the complete genetic code of a new organism. The DNA contained in a gamete therefore only comprises half of the genetic material (one each from the mother and father organism) of the future individual. As each gamete is genetically unique due to the random distribution of the parental chromosomes during meiosis, gametes form the basis for genetic diversity.
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