Gametes are specialized reproductive cells that are involved in sexual reproduction. In humans, gametes are the sperm cells in males and the egg cells in females.
Gametes are formed through a process called gametogenesis, which involves the production of sperm in males (spermatogenesis) and the production of eggs in females (oogenesis).
In males, spermatogenesis takes place in the testes. It involves the differentiation of diploid germ cells into haploid sperm cells through the process of meiosis. This process results in the formation of four functional sperm cells from a single diploid germ cell.
In females, oogenesis takes place in the ovaries. It also involves meiosis, but with a different pattern compared to spermatogenesis. The process results in the formation of a single functional egg cell and polar bodies from a single diploid germ cell. Oogenesis begins before birth and is completed after puberty, with the release of an egg during the menstrual cycle.
Gametes are haploid, meaning they contain half the number of chromosomes as the parent cell. This is important for sexual reproduction because when the gametes fuse during fertilization, the resulting zygote will have the correct diploid number of chromosomes.