Reproductive Biology Terms

noun a word that represents a person, place, thing, or idea

• The biological urge to reproduce is a fundamental aspect of human nature.
• I can't control my biological urge to eat chocolate whenever I see it.
• My biological urge to hit snooze on my alarm is so strong in the morning.
• His biological urge to explore new territories led him to travel the world.

adjective reproductive strategy in which embryos develop inside eggs that are retained within the mother's body until they are ready to hatch

• The ovoviviparous fish species gives birth to live young that have developed from eggs within the mother's body.
• I learned in biology class that some animals are ovoviviparous, meaning they give birth to live young instead of laying eggs.
• Who knew that some animals are like, half pregnant? That's so ovoviviparous!
• Her creativity is ovoviviparous, as she gives birth to new ideas that have been developing within her mind.

noun a supposed phenomenon in which the offspring of a female by one sire has the characteristics of a previous mate of the female

• The concept of telegony, where a female's offspring can be influenced by the traits of her previous mates, has been a topic of scientific debate.
• Some people believe in the idea of telegony, that a woman's future children can be affected by her past partners.
• I heard this crazy theory about telegony, like your baby can inherit traits from your ex-boyfriend.
• In literature, the notion of telegony is often used as a metaphor for how past experiences can shape future outcomes.