Female

Female is the sex of an organism, or a part of an organism, which produces egg cells. The "egg cell" (ovum) is defined as the larger gamete in a heterogamous reproduction system, while the smaller, usually motile gamete (sperm cell) is produced by the male. A female individual cannot reproduce sexually without access to the gametes of a male.

Related Topics:
Sex - Egg cell - Ovum - Gamete - Heterogamous - Sperm cell - Male - Sexually

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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 molds, 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.

Related Topics:
Evolved - Evolutionary lineages - Animal - Chytrid - Diatom - Water mold - Land plants - Sporophyte

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A common symbol used to represent the female gender is ♀ (Unicode: U+2640), a circle with a small cross underneath. This symbol also represents the planet Venus and may be seen as a stylized representation of the goddess Venus' hand mirror.

Related Topics:
Unicode - Venus - Goddess Venus'

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