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Gametes

Definition

Gametes are mature sexual reproductive cells that come together during fertilization to produce offspring. In humans, these are sperm and egg cells.

Analogy

Imagine gametes as puzzle pieces - an egg from mom and a sperm from dad. When these two pieces come together during fertilization, they create a complete picture - a new individual!

Related terms

Zygote: The cell formed by the union of two gametes; basically it's what forms after an egg is fertilized by sperm.

Fertilization: The action or process of fertilizing an egg involving fusion of male and female gametes to form a zygote.

Sexual Reproduction: The production of new living organisms by combining genetic information from two individuals.

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AP® and SAT® are trademarks registered by the College Board, which is not affiliated with, and does not endorse this website.