Related topics: offspring , mating , males
Female
hideFemale (♀) is the sex of an organism, or a part of an organism, which produces mobile ova (egg cells). The ova are defined as the larger gametes in a heterogamous reproduction system, while the smaller, usually motile gamete, the spermatozoon, is produced by the male. A female individual cannot reproduce sexually without access to the gametes of a male (an exception is parthenogenesis). Some organisms can reproduce both sexually and asexually.
There is no single genetic mechanism behind sex differences in different species and the existence of two sexes seems to have evolved multiple times independently in different evolutionary lineages. Other than the defining difference in the type of gamete produced, differences between males and females in one lineage cannot always be predicted by differences in another. The concept is not limited to animals; egg cells are produced by chytrids, diatoms, water moulds and land plants, among others. In land plants, female and male designate not only the egg- and sperm-producing organisms and structures, but also the structures of the sporophytes that give rise to male and female plants.
For more information about Female, read the full article at
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News tagged with females
Biologist Shows Female Birds of a Feather Compete Together
Dec 15, 2009 |
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(PhysOrg.com) -- With its flamboyantly decorated plumage, the peacock is a classic example of how males among many bird species are more visually eye-catching than their female partners. But new research, ...
Scientists show that female fruit flies can be 'too attractive' to males
Dec 08, 2009 |
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Females can be too attractive to the opposite sex -- too attractive for their own good -- say biologists at UC Santa Barbara. They found that, among fruit flies, too much male attention directed toward attractive ...
Female birds -- acting just like the guys -- become sexual show-offs in cooperative breeding species
Dec 09, 2009 |
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(PhysOrg.com) -- Female birds in species that breed in groups can find themselves under pressure to sexually show off and evolve the same kinds of embellishments - like fanciful tail feathers or chest-puffing ...
Are angry women more like men?
Medicine & Health / Psychology & Psychiatry
Dec 04, 2009 |
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"Why is it that men can be bastards and women must wear pearls and smile?" wrote author Lynn Hecht Schafran. The answer, according to an article in the Journal of Vision, may lie in our interpretation of facial expressions.
What she sees in you -- facial attractiveness explained
Medicine & Health / Psychology & Psychiatry
Aug 24, 2009 |
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(PhysOrg.com) -- When it comes to potential mates, women may be as complicated as men claim they are, according to psychologists.
Mom was right: Why nice guys usually get the girls
Nov 05, 2009 |
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(PhysOrg.com) -- Female water striders often reject their most persistent and aggressive suitors and prefer the males who aren't so grabby, according to new research. Water striders are insects commonly seen ...
Opposites attract: Monkeys choose mating partners with different genes
Nov 24, 2009 |
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The world's largest species of monkey 'chooses' mates with genes that are different from their own to guarantee healthy and strong offspring, according to a new research study.
Studies suggest males have more personality
Nov 18, 2009 |
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(PhysOrg.com) -- Males have more pronounced personalities than females across a range of species - from humans to house sparrows - according to new research. Consistent personality traits, such as aggression ...
New study shows that in horse play, adult-to-young ratio is key
Mar 17, 2009 |
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Adults of many animal species play a crucial role in the social development of youngsters. A new study published March 18 in the online, peer-reviewed, open-access journal PLoS ONE, reveals that the ratio of adults to you ...
Should females trust showy males?
Aug 21, 2009 |
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(PhysOrg.com) -- How honest are males when using sexual displays to signal their eligibility to females?
Fruit fly sperm makes females do housework after sex
Sep 30, 2009 |
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The sperm of male fruit flies are coated with a chemical 'sex peptide' which inhibits the female's usual afternoon siesta and compels her into an intense period of foraging activity.
Mother knows best: Females control sperm storage to pick the best father
Sep 08, 2009 |
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(PhysOrg.com) -- Scientists have found new evidence to explain how female insects can influence the father of their offspring, even after mating with up to ten males. A team from the University of Exeter has ...
Female choice benefits mothers more than offspring
Oct 22, 2009 |
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The great diversity of male sexual traits, ranging from peacock's elaborate train to formidable genitalia of male seed beetles, is the result of female choice. But why do females choose among males? In a new study published ...
Are female mountain goats sexually conflicted over size of mate?
Nov 17, 2009 |
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Mountain goats are no exception to the general rule among mammals that larger males sire more and healthier offspring. But University of Alberta researcher David Coltman has found a genetic quirk that might make female mountain ...
Spread your sperm the smart way
Jul 09, 2009 |
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(PhysOrg.com) -- Attractive males release fewer sperm per mating to maximise their chances of producing offspring across a range of females, according to a new paper on the evolution of ejaculation strategies. The findings ...
