Female facts for kids

Female (symbol: ♀) describes the biological sex that produces egg cells for reproduction. In many species, females also carry and give birth to young. This term applies to animals, plants, and other living things.

For example, in seed plants, female plants are those that produce seeds. Male plants produce pollen. Many plants are actually hermaphrodites, meaning they produce both seeds and pollen.

Humans, like many other animals, are either male or female. Female humans are called women. Their bodies have specific features that allow them to carry and feed babies. Women usually have wider hips than men, which helps them give birth. They also have breasts with milk glands to feed infants.

What Does "Female" Mean?

The word "female" refers to the biological sex that creates the larger reproductive cell, called an egg cell. These egg cells are needed for sexual reproduction. In many animals, the female also carries the developing young inside her body and gives birth to them.

Female Animals and Their Roles

In the animal kingdom, females play a key role in bringing new life into the world. For instance, a female bird lays eggs, and a female mammal, like a cow or a human, gives birth to live young. After birth, many female mammals also produce milk to feed their babies. This process is called nursing or breastfeeding.

Female Plants and Reproduction

Plants also have male and female parts, or can be entirely male or female. In seed plants, the female parts are where the seeds develop. These seeds contain the new plant embryo. Pollen, which comes from the male parts, is needed to fertilize the egg cells inside the female parts of the plant. This fertilization leads to the formation of seeds.

Related Topics

• Sex determination - This is the biological process that decides if an individual will be male or female.

Images for kids

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  "fæmnan," an Old English word for 'female'

See also

In Spanish: Hembra para niños