Related topics: mating , females
Male
hideMale (♂) refers to the sex of an organism, or part of an organism, which produces small mobile gametes, called spermatozoa. Each spermatozoon can fuse with a larger female gamete or ovum, in the process of fertilization. A male cannot reproduce sexually without access to at least one ovum from a female, but some organisms can reproduce both sexually and asexually.
Not all species share a common sex-determination system. In humans and most animals, sex is determined genetically but in other species it can be determined due to social, environmental, or other factors. The existence of two sexes seems to have been selected independently across different evolutionary lineages (see Convergent Evolution). Accordingly, sex is defined operationally across species by the type of gametes produced (ie: spermatozoa vs. ova) and differences between males and females in one lineage are not always predictive of differences in another.
Male/Female dimorphism between organisms or reproductive organs of different sexes is not limited to animals; male gametes are produced by chytrids, diatoms and land plants, among others. In land plants, female and male designate not only the female and male gamete-producing organisms and structures but also the structures of the sporophytes that give rise to male and female plants.
For more information about Male, read the full article at
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News tagged with males
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, ...
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 ...
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 ...
The making of the male brain (estrogen required)
Oct 01, 2009 |
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Territorial behavior in male mice might be linked to more "girl-power" than ever suspected, according to new findings at UCSF. For the first time, researchers have identified networks of nerve cells in the brain that are ...
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.
Can Video Game Testing Spark Interest in Computing Among Black Youth?
Other Sciences / Social Sciences
Sep 09, 2009 |
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Walk into almost any household that includes teenage boys and you'll find one or more video game consoles. Walk into that household past 10PM and you’re likely to find one or more teenage boys playing those ...
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?
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 ...
Good males are bad fathers
Jun 25, 2009 |
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Contrary to predictions, males of high genetic quality are not very successful when it comes to fertilizing eggs. A new study on seed beetles by Swedish and Danish scientists Göran Arnqvist and Trine Bilde shows that when ...
Nematode courting caught on camera
Jun 25, 2009 |
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Researchers studying the nervous control of nematode mating behavior have produced video footage of a male worm preparing to mate with a hermaphrodite.
Mate selection: How does she know he'll take care of the kids?
Jun 18, 2009 |
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Throughout the animal kingdom brilliant colors or elaborate behavioral displays serve as "advertisements" for attracting mates. But, what do the ads promise, and is there truth in advertizing? Researchers ...
Male flies: Not the world's most sensitive lovers
Jun 12, 2009 |
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In order to increase their chances of reproductive success, male flies of the species Drosophila montana try to copulate for much longer than the females would like. Researchers writing in the open access journal BMC Evolution ...
Researchers tie crest size to seabirds' suitability as a mate
Apr 16, 2009 |
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A newly released study by researchers at the University of Alaska Fairbanks offers evidence that in one breed of northern seabird, the size of males' feather crests may be more than simple ornamentation.
Male fruit flies change to gain reproductive edge
Apr 14, 2009 |
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(PhysOrg.com) -- When it comes to wooing females, males of all species -- even fruit flies -- try to gain a competitive edge.
Not enough vitamin D in the diet could mean too much fat on adolescents
Mar 12, 2009 |
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Too little vitamin D could be bad for more than your bones; it may also lead to fatter adolescents, researchers say.
