A germ cell is a type of reproductive cell that plays a crucial role in sexual reproduction. In humans and many other organisms, there are two main types of germ cells: sperm in males and eggs (or ova) in females. These cells carry half the genetic information needed to form a new individual, contributing to genetic diversity. Germ cells are produced through a process called meiosis, which reduces the chromosome number by half. This ensures that when a sperm fertilizes an egg, the resulting zygote has the correct number of chromosomes, allowing for proper development into a new organism.