Final answer:
A gamete produced by an organism with 36 chromosomes in its normal body cells would contain 18 chromosomes, which is half the chromosome number due to the reduction during meiosis.
Step-by-step explanation:
If an organism's normal body cells have 36 chromosomes, the number of chromosomes found in a gamete produced by that organism would be half of that number. This is because gametes are haploid cells, which means they contain one set of chromosomes. In contrast, somatic cells, like muscle cells, are diploid and contain two sets of chromosomes, one from each parent.
During gametogenesis (the production of gametes), the process of meiosis reduces the chromosome number by half to ensure that sexual reproduction can occur properly, with the zygote having the correct number of chromosomes after fertilization. Thus, a gamete from an organism with 36 chromosomes in its normal body cells would contain 18 chromosomes.