viviparous
/vi'vipərəs/
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Definition
- Adjective:
- Producing living young that develop within the mother's body: In biology, "viviparous" describes animals whose embryos develop inside the body of the parent, leading to the birth of live offspring, as opposed to hatching from eggs laid outside the body.
- Germinating while still attached to the parent plant: In botany, "viviparous" describes plants where seeds or bulbs germinate and begin to grow while still attached to the parent plant.
Usage Examples
- Adjective (Zoology):
- Most mammals, such as humans and dogs, are viviparous.
- Unlike birds, which are oviparous, whales are viviparous animals.
- Adjective (Botany):
- Some mangrove species are viviparous; their seeds germinate into seedlings while still on the tree.
- The plant exhibited viviparous growth, with new plantlets forming on the edges of its leaves.
Advanced Usage
- Scientific Context: The term is primarily used in formal biological and ecological writing to specify a mode of reproduction.
- The study compared the reproductive strategies of oviparous and viviparous lizards.
- Technical Description: Can be used to describe specific anatomical or physiological adaptations.
- Viviparous species often have a placenta to nourish the developing embryo.
Variants and Related Words
- Viviparity (n): The condition of being viviparous; the mode of reproduction involving live birth.
- Viviparity is a common trait among mammals.
- Viviparously (adv): In a viviparous manner.
- The species reproduces viviparously.
Synonyms
- Live-bearing: Giving birth to live young.
- (Antonym) Oviparous: Producing young by means of eggs that hatch after being laid by the parent.
Related Phrases and Terms
- Viviparous reproduction: The biological process of giving birth to live young.
- Viviparous reproduction requires significant internal resources from the parent.
- Viviparous plant: A plant that produces seeds that germinate before detaching.
- The viviparous plant spread rapidly as its seedlings dropped into the water below.