Which of the following best describes gametes?

Gametes are specifically defined as haploid reproductive cells involved in sexual reproduction. Each gamete carries only one set of chromosomes, which is half the genetic material of a diploid cell. This haploid state is essential for maintaining the species' chromosome number after fertilization when two gametes fuse to form a diploid zygote.

In contrast, diploid cells that divide by mitosis are not gametes but rather somatic cells, which are involved in growth and repair. The terminology used for cells that develop into somatic cells also distinguishes these cells from gametes, as somatic cells are formed from mitotic processes of diploid cells. Additionally, cells that cannot undergo meiosis are not functioning as gametes, as gametes are the products of meiosis, the specialized cell division that creates haploid cells from diploid precursors.

Thus, the definition of gametes as haploid reproductive cells is fundamental to understanding their role in sexual reproduction and genetics.