What is a gamete and what is its function?

Question

What is a gamete and what is its function?

Answer 1

A gamete (from Ancient Greek γαμετης; translated gamete = wife, gametes = husband) is a cell that fuses with another gamete during fertilization (conception) in organisms that reproduce sexually. In species which produce two morphologically distinct types of gametes, and in which each individual produces only one type, a female is any individual which produces the larger type of gamete—called an ovum (or egg)—and a male produces the smaller tadpole-like type—called a sperm. This is an example of anisogamy or heterogamy, the condition wherein females and males produce gametes of different sizes (this is the case in humans, the human ovum is approximately 20 times larger than the human sperm cell). In contrast, isogamy is the state of gametes from both sexes being the same size. The name gamete was introduced by the Austrian biologist Gregor Mendel. Gametes carry half the genetic information of an individual, one chromosome of each type. In humans an ovum can only carry X chromosome (of the X and Y chromosomes) whereas a sperm can carry either an X or a Y, hence, it has been suggested that males have the control of the gender of any resulting zygote as the genotype of the s*x-determining chromosomes of a male must be XY and a female XX. In other words, due to the presence of the Y chromosome exclusively in the sperm, it is that gamete alone which can determine that an offspring will be a male.

A gamete of one generation ultimately creates a gametes in the next generation, but still keeping the same quantity of genetic information.

Gametes are haploid cells; that is, they contain one half a complete set of chromosomes (the actual number varies from species to species). When two gametes fuse (in animals typically involving a sperm and an egg), they form a zygote—a cell that has two complete sets of chromosomes and therefore is diploid. The zygote receives one set of chromosomes from each of the two gametes through the fusion of the two gamete nuclei. After multiple cell divisions and cellular differentiation, a zygote develops, first into an embryo, and ultimately into a mature individual capable of producing gametes.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gamete

You could actually surf for more info from other websites. It's fascinating!!!!

Answer 2

Beats me.

Answer 3

A gamete is a haploid s*x cell that is the product of meiosis (e.g., sperm, egg).  It's function is to carry genes from one individual to the gamete of another individual so those genes can be combined to produce an offspring.