hermaphroditic

/hə:,mæfrə'ditik/

Thân thiện

A hermaphroditic earthworm moves through the soil.

Definition

1. Adjective:
   • Having both male and female reproductive organs: This is the primary biological meaning. It describes an organism (animal or plant) that possesses the complete or partial reproductive structures of both sexes within a single individual.
   • Relating to monoclinous plants: In botany, it specifically refers to flowers that contain both stamens (male parts) and pistils (female parts).

Examples of Usage

• Adjective:
  • Earthworms are hermaphroditic animals. (This describes an animal possessing both male and female organs.)
  • The botanist studied the hermaphroditic flower structure. (This describes a flower containing both male and female reproductive parts.)
  • Some fish species are sequentially hermaphroditic, changing sex during their lifetime. (This uses the adjective to describe a specific biological process.)

Advanced Usage

• "Hermaphroditic condition": A formal term for the state of being hermaphroditic.
  • The hermaphroditic condition is common in many invertebrate species.
• Used in technical, scientific, and biological contexts. It is not typically used in everyday conversation.

Variants and Related Words

• Hermaphrodite (noun): An organism that is hermaphroditic.
  • The snail is a hermaphrodite.
• Hermaphroditism (noun): The state or condition of being a hermaphrodite.
  • The biology textbook included a chapter on hermaphroditism.
• Monoclinous (adjective): A botanical synonym specifically for plants having hermaphroditic flowers.
  • A monoclinous flower has both functional stamens and a pistil.

Synonyms

• Bisexual (in a strict biological/zoological context): Possessing both male and female reproductive organs.
• Monoclinous (specifically for plants): Having perfect flowers with both sexes.
• Intersex (in some medical/zoological contexts): A more modern term often used for individuals with variations in sex characteristics, which can overlap with but is not perfectly synonymous with hermaphroditic.

Notes on Meaning

• The term is primarily scientific. In older or non-scientific contexts, it can be considered outdated or imprecise when referring to humans; "intersex" is the preferred contemporary term in that context.
• It describes a physical, biological characteristic of an organism's reproductive system.

Học thuật

Adjective

1. of animal or plant; having both male female reproductive organs
2. of or relating to monoclinous plants

Từ đồng nghĩa

• hermaphrodite