reproductive cells, which ensure the development of a new individual during fusion and the transfer of hereditary information from parents to offspring. It contains a single (haploid) set of chromosomes. In women, the gamete is called an egg, and in men, it is called a spermatozoon. When two gametes merge (fertilization), a zygote is formed, containing a complete (diploid) set of chromosomes, which develops into a new organism, inheriting the characteristics of both parental gametes.