[[Image:Female.svg|right|thumb|120px|The mirror of the Roman Goddess [[Venus (mythology)|Venus]] is often used to represent the female sex.]]
{{otheruses}}
'''Female''' is the [[sex]] of an [[organism]], or a part of an organism, which produces [[ovum|ova]] (egg cells). The ova are defined as the larger [[gamete]]s in a [[heterogamous]] reproduction system, while the smaller, usually [[motile]] gamete, the [[spermatozoon]] is produced by the [[male]]. A female individual cannot reproduce [[sexual reproduction|sexually]] without access to the gametes of a [[male]]. Some organisms can reproduce both [[sexual reproduction|sexually]] and [[Asexual reproduction|asexually]].
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There is no single genetic mechanism behind sex differences in different species, and the existence of two sexes seems to have [[evolution|evolved]] multiple times independently in different [[lineage (evolution)|evolutionary lineages]]. Other than the defining difference in the type of gamete produced, differences between males and females in one lineage cannot always be predicted by differences in another. The concept is not limited to [[animal]]s; egg cells are produced by [[chytrid]]s, [[diatom]]s, [[water mold]]s, and [[plant|land plants]], among others. In land plants, 'female' and 'male' designate not only the egg- and sperm-producing organisms and structures, but also the structures of the [[sporophyte]]s that give rise to male and female plants.
==Sex determination==
{{main|Sex-determination system}}
The [[sex]] of a particular organism may be determined by a number of factors. These may be genetic or environmental, or may naturally change during the course of an organism's life. Although most species with male and female sexes have individuals that are either male or female, [[hermaphrodite|hermaphroditic]] animals have both male and female reproductive organs. Female humans obtain a certain body part called the [[vagina]].
===Genetic determination===
Most [[mammal]]s, including [[human]]s, are genetically determined as such by the [[XY sex-determination system]] where males have an XY (as opposed to XX) sex [[chromosome]]. During [[reproduction]], a male can give either an X sperm or a Y sperm, while a female can only give an X egg. A Y sperm and an X egg produce a [[boy]], while an X sperm and an X egg produce a [[girl]]. The [[ZW sex-determination system]], where males have a ZZ (as opposed to ZW) sex chromosome may be found in [[bird]]s and some [[insect]]s and other organisms. Members of [[Hymenoptera]], such as [[ant]]s and [[bee]]s, are determined by [[haplodiploidy]], where most males are [[haploid]] and females and some sterile males are [[diploid]].
===Environmental determination===
In some species of reptiles, including [[alligator]]s, sex is determined by the temperature at which the egg is incubated. Other species, such as some [[snail]]s, practice sex change: adults start out male, then become female. In tropical [[clown fish]], the dominant individual in a group becomes female while the other ones are male.
In some [[arthropod]]s, sex is determined by infection. [[Bacterium|Bacteria]] of the genus ''[[Wolbachia]]'' alter their sex; some species consist entirely of ZZ individuals, with sex determined by the presence of ''Wolbachia''.
==Mammalian female==
The mammalian female is characterised by having two copies of the X chromosome as opposed to the male which carries only one X and one smaller Y chromosome. To compensate for the difference in size one of the female's X chromosomes is randomly inactivated in each cell.
Conversely in birds it is the female who is heterozygote and carries a Z and a W chromosome whilst the male carries two Z chromosomes.
==Symbols==
A common symbol used to represent the female gender is ♀ ([[Unicode]]: U+2640), a circle with a small cross underneath. This symbol also represents the planet [[Venus]] and is a stylized representation of the [[Venus (mythology)|goddess Venus']] hand mirror.
==Etymology==
The word '''female''' comes from the Latin ''femella'', the diminuative form of ''femina'', meaning '[[woman]].', which is not actually related to the word 'male.' The word was probably originally ''femella'', meaning "young girl". In the late 14th century, the English spelling was altered so that the word paralleled the spelling of "male".[http://www.etymonline.com/index.php?term=female]
==Sources==
Ayers, Donald M. '''English Words from Latin and Greek Elements'''. Second Edition. 1986. University of Arizona Press. United States.
==See also==
* [[Feminine side]]
* [[Male]]
* [[Sex-determination system]]
* [[Woman]] and [[girl]], female [[human]]s
*[[Mammal]]
*[[Hermaphrodite]]
*[[Secondary sex characteristic]]
*[[Gestation]]
*[[Feminism]]
{{wiktionary}}
[[Category:Gender]]
[[Category:Sex]]
[[ca:Femella]]
[[de:Weiblich]]
[[eo:femalo]]
[[es:Hembra]]
[[fr:Femelle]]
[[gd:Boireannach]]
[[he:נקבה]]
[[ja:メス (動物)]]
[[pl:Samica]]
[[pt:Feminino]]
[[ru:Самка]]
[[simple:Female]]
[[sk:Samica]]
[[su:bikang]]
[[fi:Naaras]]
[[zh:雌性]]
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