What are haploid male or female sex cells capable of uniting with another to form a zygote called?

The term that refers to haploid male or female sex cells that are capable of uniting with another to form a zygote is "gametes." Gametes are specialized cells involved in sexual reproduction; male gametes are called sperm, while female gametes are called ova or eggs. Each of these cells contains one set of chromosomes (haploid), which is crucial for maintaining the correct chromosome number in the offspring when two gametes fuse during fertilization, creating a diploid zygote.

Spermatocytes are specific to the male reproductive system and are the cells undergoing meiosis to produce sperm, but they are not themselves the mature gametes. Oocytes refer specifically to the female gametes during their development, but like spermatocytes, they are not the term that encompasses both male and female sex cells collectively. Somatic cells are all the other body cells that are not involved in sexual reproduction and are diploid, containing two sets of chromosomes.