Meaning & use
gamete
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Meaning
nouncountablebiologytechnical
A mature reproductive cell, such as a sperm or egg, that joins with another to form a new organism.
Grammar: Countable: a gamete, two gametes. Often used in the plural when discussing reproduction.
Patterns
- male gamete
- female gamete
- produce gametes
- fuse with a gamete
In humans, the sperm and the egg are gametes.
Each parent contributes one gamete to the offspring.
The male gamete swims toward the female gamete.
Word forms
| plural | gametes |
|---|
Common combinations
- male gamete
- The male gamete is usually smaller and motile.
- female gamete
- The female gamete provides most of the nutrients for the early embryo.
- produce gametes
- The reproductive organs produce gametes.
- gamete formation
- Gamete formation involves meiosis.
Synonyms and how they differ
- sex cell
- A general term; 'gamete' is the scientific word used in biology.
- germ cell
- A broader term for cells that can develop into gametes; not all germ cells are mature gametes.
Word family
- gametic adjective
- Relating to gametes.
- gametocyte noun
- A cell that divides to form gametes.
- gametogenesis noun
- The process by which gametes are produced.
Commonly confused: gamete or zygote? gamete or gamete?
gamete vs zygote
A zygote is the cell formed after two gametes fuse; a gamete is one of the cells before fusion.
gamete vs gamete
Sometimes confused with 'gamut' (a complete range) because they sound similar.
Practice
In sexual reproduction, what is a gamete?
Choose one answer.
A gamete is a reproductive cell like a sperm or egg; it fuses with another gamete. Option 0 is wrong because gametes are haploid, having half the usual number. Option 2 describes a zygote, the product of fusion.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “gamete”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.