gamete
Americannoun
noun
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A cell whose nucleus unites with that of another cell to form a new organism. A gamete contains only a single (haploid) set of chromosomes. Animal egg and sperm cells, the nuclei carried in grains of pollen, and egg cells in plant ovules are all gametes.
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Also called germ cell reproductive cell, sex cell
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See Note at mitosis
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of gamete
1885–90; < New Latin gameta < Greek gamet- (stem of gametḗ wife, gamétēs husband), derivative of gameîn to marry
Compare meaning
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Explanation
A gamete is the male or female reproductive cell that contains half the genetic material of the organism. When two human gametes meet — that is, a sperm cell and an ovum — you get a zygote, a fertilized egg. And, if all goes well, that zygote will become a human baby.
Vocabulary lists containing gamete
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Cell Biology - Middle School
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Genetics - Middle School
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Gametes and gamete production physiology, by themselves, are only a part of the entirety of human lives.
From Scientific American • May 1, 2023
Gametes contain half the number of chromosomes of somatic cells.
From Textbooks • Jun. 9, 2022
Gametes, often called sex cells, unite with other sex cells to produce new, unique organisms.
From Textbooks • Jun. 9, 2022
Gametes are formed in reproductive structures at the tips of the gametophytes.
From Textbooks • Jan. 1, 2018
Gametes represented by small and zygotes by larger circles.
From Mendelism Third Edition by Punnett, Reginald Crundall
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
