Germ cells are specialized cells responsible for producing gametes, which are the reproductive cells in organisms. In humans and many other animals, germ cells develop into sperm in males and eggs in females. These cells are crucial for sexual reproduction, as they carry genetic information from one generation to the next. Germ cells originate from the embryonic cells during early development and undergo a process called meiosis to reduce their chromosome number by half. This ensures that when fertilization occurs, the resulting zygote has the correct number of chromosomes, maintaining genetic stability across generations.