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1. One of two haploid cells that can undergo karyogamy. 2. Any germ cell, whether ovum or spermatozoon. [G. gametes, husband; g., wife]
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ga·mete 'gam-.ētalso gə-'mēt n a mature male or female germ cell usu. possessing a haploid chromosome set and capable of initiating formation of a new diploid individual by fusion with a gamete of the opposite sex called also sex cell
ga·met·ic gə-'met-ik, -'mēt- adj
ga·met·i·cal·ly -i-k(ə-)lē adv
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n.
a mature sex cell: the ovum of the female or the spermatozoon of the male. Gametes are haploid, containing half the normal number of chromosomes.
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gam·ete (gamґēt) [Gr. gametē wife, gametēs husband] 1. one of two haploid reproductive cells, male (spermatozoon) and female (oocyte), whose union is necessary in sexual reproduction to initiate the development of a new individual. 2. the malarial parasite in its sexual form in the gut of the mosquito vector, either male (microgamete) or female (macrogamete); the latter fertilizes the former to form a zygote, which develops into an ookinete.Medical dictionary. 2011.