gamete

American  

[gam-eet, guh-meet] / ˈgæm it, gəˈmit /

noun

Biology.

1. a mature sexual reproductive cell, as a sperm or egg, that unites with another cell to form a new organism.

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gamete British  

/ ɡəˈmɛtɪk, ˈɡæmiːt, ɡəˈmiːt /

noun

1. a haploid germ cell, such as a spermatozoon or ovum, that fuses with another germ cell during fertilization

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gamete Scientific  

/ găm′ēt′ /

1. 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.

2. Also called germ cell reproductive cell, sex cell

3. See Note at mitosis

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gamete Cultural  

1. A reproductive cell having a single set of chromosomes, especially a mature sperm or egg.

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Other Word Forms

• gametal adjective
• gametic adjective
• gametically adverb

Etymology

Origin of gamete

1885–90; < New Latin gameta < Greek gamet- (stem of gametḗ wife, gamétēs husband), derivative of gameîn to marry

Compare meaning

How does gamete compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

• gamete vs. zygote

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.

Example Sentences

There are ethical questions about the treatment of surrogates and gamete donors and the fate of embryos when couples break up.

From Slate • Oct. 7, 2025

Notably, it’s scientifically inaccurate to say sex can be determined at conception, to say nothing of the limitations of defining a person solely by gamete size.

From Salon • Jan. 23, 2025

Helen Gibson, founder of Surrogacy Concern, a UK group which campaigns on issues relating to surrogacy and gamete donation said the organisation did not support "any payment for gametes".

From BBC • Sep. 30, 2024

When the sperm fertilizes this gamete, it introduces the protein cyclin, which then activates the decomposition of the inhibitory protein.

From Science Daily • Feb. 15, 2024

Heredity thus continues from gamete to gamete, not from zygote to soma, and then from soma to gamete.

From Hormones and Heredity by Cunningham, J. T.