Skip to ContentGo to accessibility page
OpenStax Logo
Concepts of Biology

Introduction

Concepts of BiologyIntroduction
Figure 18.1 Female seahorses produce eggs that are then fertilized by the male. Unlike with almost all other animals, the young then develop in a pouch of the male seahorse until birth. (credit: "cliff1066"/Flickr)

Chapter Outline

Introduction

In the animal kingdom, each species has its unique adaptations for reproduction. Asexual reproduction produces genetically identical offspring (clones), whereas in sexual reproduction, the genetic material of two individuals combines to produce offspring that are genetically different from their parents. Although animal species vary widely in sex-specific morphology and behavior, there is almost always one type of body that produces smaller gametes, and one type of body that produces larger gametes. The individuals who produce smaller gametes are classified with a male sex, while those who produce larger gametes are classified with a female sex. During sexual reproduction the male gamete (sperm) may be placed inside the female’s body for internal fertilization, the sperm may be left in the environment for the female to pick up and place in their own body, or both sperm and eggs may be released into the environment for external fertilization. Seahorses provide an example of the latter, but with a twist (Figure 18.1). Following a mating dance, the female releases eggs into the male seahorse’s abdominal brood pouch and the male releases sperm into the water, which then find their way into the brood pouch to fertilize the eggs. The fertilized eggs develop in the pouch for several weeks.

PreviousNext
Order a print copy
Citation/Attribution
Reuse and redistribution of this content in digital or print format:
  • This book may not be used in the training of large language models or otherwise be ingested into large language models or generative AI offerings without OpenStax's prior written permission.
  • This book uses the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike License, which means that you can reuse and modify the material only for noncommercial purposes, must attribute OpenStax, and must distribute any derivative works under the same license.
  • Any commercial printing of this textbook, including using a local or custom printer, must be approved by OpenStax, and proper citation provided.
  • OpenStax-copyrighted images, activities, assessments, and similar components of this book are subject to the same licensing – CC-BY-NC-SA. They can be used for noncommercial purposes with attribution. Commercial use requires permission.
  • Permission requests: Anyone who intends to incorporate this content (including text, images, and other components) into large language models, use it in AI offerings, use it commercially (including in print), and/or has questions about another use case is welcome to complete our reuse request form.
Attribution information
  • If you are redistributing all or part of this book in a noncommercial print format, then you must include on every physical page the following attribution:

    Access for free at https://openstax.org/books/concepts-biology/pages/1-introduction

  • If you are redistributing all or part of this book in a noncommercial digital format, then for every page that includes OpenStax content, you must license the derivative work under the same CC-BY-NC-SA license as the original, and include on every digital page view the following attribution:

    Access for free at https://openstax.org/books/concepts-biology/pages/1-introduction

Citation information

The information below includes the information needed to generate citations in most major styles (APA, MLA, etc.); you must reformat and organize the information as needed to fit the requirements of the style. Use the information below to generate a citation. We recommend using a citation tool such as this one.

© Jul 22, 2026 OpenStax. Textbook content produced by OpenStax is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike License. The OpenStax name, OpenStax logo, OpenStax book covers, OpenStax CNX name, and OpenStax CNX logo, and Rice University name, and Rice University logo trademarks, or wordmarks are not subject to the Creative Commons license and may not be reproduced without the prior and express written consent of Rice University.