unisexual
/'ju:ni'sekst/ Cách viết khác : (unisexual) /'ju:ni'seksjuəl/
Học thuậtThân thiện
Definition
- Adjective:
- Relating to or being of one sex only: Describes an organism, structure, or characteristic that is associated with a single sex (either male or female), not both.
- Having reproductive organs of only one sex: Specifically refers to an individual organism that possesses either male or female reproductive organs, but not both; not hermaphroditic.
Usage and Examples
- General Biological Context:
- Most mammals are unisexual, meaning individuals are distinctly male or female.
- The study focused on unisexual populations of the fish species.
- Botanical Context:
- A unisexual flower contains either stamens or pistils, but not both.
- The plant is unisexual, so you need both a male and a female plant for pollination.
Advanced Usage
- In Developmental Biology: Can describe processes or genes active in only one sex.
- The gene expression is unisexual, occurring only in female embryos.
- In Population Studies: Refers to groups consisting of only one sex.
- The unisexual aggregation of males is common during the mating season.
Variants and Related Words
- Unisex (Adjective): Designed for or suitable to both sexes. (Note: This is a distinct word often confused with 'unisexual'. 'Unisex' refers to things like clothing or facilities, not biological sex).
- The salon offers unisex haircuts.
- Bisexual (Adjective, Biology): Having both male and female reproductive organs in a single individual; hermaphroditic.
- Dioecious (Adjective, Botany): Having male and female reproductive organs on separate individual plants.
Synonyms
- Gonochoristic (Adjective, Biology): A technical synonym meaning having separate sexes.
- Single-sex (Adjective): A more general term, often used for groups or institutions.
Antonyms
- Hermaphroditic (Adjective): Having both male and female reproductive organs.
- Bisexual (Adjective, Biology): Hermaphroditic.
- Monoecious (Adjective, Botany): Having both male and female reproductive organs on the same plant.
Adjective
- relating to only one sex or having only one type of sexual organ; not hermaphroditic