A gamete (sex cell) has half the number of chromosomes found in a normal body cell. This is called the haploid number, represented by n.

Here's why:

* Body cells (somatic cells) have two sets of chromosomes, one from each parent. This is called the diploid number, represented by 2n. In humans, the diploid number is 46.

* Gametes (sperm and egg cells) are formed through a process called meiosis, which reduces the number of chromosomes in half. This ensures that when a sperm and egg cell fuse during fertilization, the resulting offspring will have the correct number of chromosomes (in humans, 46).

Therefore, the number of chromosomes in a gamete is n, which is 23 in humans.