Sperm and egg cells each contain 23 chromosomes.
Chromosomes and Human Cells
According to HowStuffWorks, most human cells contain 23 pairs of chromosomes, totaling 46. However, there are exceptions, specifically sperm and egg cells. These cells, also known as gametes, only contain 23 chromosomes each.
Why Only 23?
- Purpose: Gametes are designed to combine during fertilization.
- Fertilization: When a sperm (23 chromosomes) fertilizes an egg (23 chromosomes), the resulting zygote has the standard human number of 46 chromosomes (23 pairs).
Chromosome Summary
The following table summarizes the chromosome count in human cells:
| Cell Type | Number of Chromosomes |
|---|---|
| Most Human Cells | 46 (23 pairs) |
| Sperm Cell | 23 |
| Egg Cell | 23 |
