gamete

/'gæmi:t/

Thân thiện

A scientist examines a human gamete under a microscope.

Definition

1. Noun:
   • A mature sexual reproductive cell: A gamete is a specialized haploid cell that fuses with another gamete during fertilization to form a new diploid organism. It carries a single set of unpaired chromosomes.

Usage

• Gametes are the fundamental units of sexual reproduction.
• The term is used in biological and genetic contexts to describe the reproductive cells (sperm and egg/ovum) from two parents that combine to create offspring.

Examples

• Noun:
  • The sperm cell is the male gamete.
  • During fertilization, an egg gamete fuses with a sperm gamete.
  • Each gamete contributes half the genetic material to the zygote.

Advanced Usage

• "Gamete intrafallopian transfer (GIFT)": A medical procedure in assisted reproduction where gametes (egg and sperm) are placed directly into a fallopian tube.
  • GIFT is an alternative fertility treatment to in vitro fertilization.

Variants and Related Words

• Gametic (adj): Pertaining to or of the nature of a gamete.
  • The study focused on gametic selection.
• Gametogenesis (n): The process by which gametes are produced.
  • Meiosis is a key part of gametogenesis.

Synonyms

• Reproductive cell
• Sex cell
• Germ cell (though this can also refer to precursor cells)

Related Phrases / Compound Terms

• Gamete donation: The act of providing one's gametes (sperm or eggs) for use in assisted reproduction.
  • They sought a gamete donation to start their family.
• Gamete fusion: The union of two gametes during fertilization.
  • Gamete fusion initiates the development of a new organism.

Học thuật

Noun

1. a mature sexual reproductive cell having a single set of unpaired chromosomes