Final answer:
Option (d), Sperm and egg cells are referred to as gametes, which are haploid cells containing half the number of chromosomes compared to somatic or body cells.
Step-by-step explanation:
Sperm and egg cells are also called gametes. These are the reproductive cells that combine to produce offspring through the process of fertilization. In humans, gametes are haploid cells, meaning they contain half the number of chromosomes compared to somatic cells. Each human gamete contains one set of 23 chromosomes, for a total of 23 instead of the 46 found in a normal somatic or body cell which is diploid and has two sets of 23 chromosomes (23 pairs).
Body cells are typically referred to as somatic cells, which contain double the number of chromosomes found in reproductive cells, making them diploid. A homologous pair of chromosomes refer to the two copies of a single chromosome found in each somatic cell. The term gametes is specific to the reproductive cells (sperm and egg), which are produced in the gonads (testes for males and ovaries for females), through a special type of cell division known as meiosis.