Which term correctly describes germ cells?

• A. They form the body of an organism and are not gametes.
• B. They are produced by fertilization.
• C. They are the sex cells (gametes).
• D. They always contain one set of chromosomes.

Answer: (C)

Germ cells are the reproductive lineage that ultimately form the gametes, so they’re best described as the sex cells (gametes). These cells reside in the gonads and, through meiosis, give rise to haploid gametes with a single set of chromosomes. It’s important to note that germ cells themselves start as diploid (two chromosome sets) before meiosis reduces them to one set in the mature gametes. Fertilization is the process that combines two gametes to create a zygote, not how germ cells are defined. The option stating they form the body refers to somatic cells, not the germ line.