A conservationist aims to preserve the gametes of a highly endangered animal species in a viable and fertile condition for a long period of time. Identify the appropriate technique for this purpose and the category of biodiversity conservation it represents.

Step-by-step solution

According to NCERT, in recent years, ex-situ conservation has advanced beyond keeping threatened species in enclosures. The gametes of threatened species can now be preserved in viable and fertile conditions for long periods using cryopreservation techniques (preservation at ultra-low temperatures, typically -196^ C in liquid nitrogen). Since the biological material is maintained outside its natural habitat, it is classified as an ex-situ conservation strategy. Tissue culture is an ex-situ method used for plant pro