Female (

symbol A symbol is a mark, sign, or word that indicates, signifies, or is understood as representing an idea, object, or relationship. Symbols allow people to go beyond what is known or seen by creating linkages between otherwise very different conc ...

♀ A gender symbol is a pictogram or glyph used to represent sex and gender, for example in biology and medicine, in genealogy, or in the sociological fields of gender politics, LGBT subculture and identity politics. In his books (1767) and (1771) ...

) is the sex of an

organism In biology, an organism () is any life, living system that functions as an individual entity. All organisms are composed of cells (cell theory). Organisms are classified by taxonomy (biology), taxonomy into groups such as Multicellular o ...

that produces the large non-motile ova (egg cells), the type of

gamete A gamete (; , ultimately ) is a haploid cell that fuses with another haploid cell during fertilization in organisms that reproduce sexually. Gametes are an organism's reproductive cells, also referred to as sex cells. In species that produce ...

(sex cell) that fuses with the

male gamete Sperm is the male reproductive cell, or gamete, in anisogamous forms of sexual reproduction (forms in which there is a larger, female reproductive cell and a smaller, male one). Animals produce motile sperm with a tail known as a flagell ...

during

sexual reproduction Sexual reproduction is a type of reproduction that involves a complex life cycle in which a gamete ( haploid reproductive cells, such as a sperm or egg cell) with a single set of chromosomes combines with another gamete to produce a zygote th ...

. A female has larger gametes than a

male Male (Mars symbol, symbol: ♂) is the sex of an organism that produces the gamete (sex cell) known as sperm, which fuses with the larger female gamete, or ovum, in the process of fertilization. A male organism cannot sexual reproduction, repro ...

. Females and males are results of the anisogamous reproduction system, wherein gametes are of different sizes, unlike

isogamy Isogamy is a form of sexual reproduction that involves gametes of the same morphology (indistinguishable in shape and size), found in most unicellular eukaryotes. Because both gametes look alike, they generally cannot be classified as male or ...

where they are the same size. The exact mechanism of female gamete evolution remains unknown. In species that have males and females, sex-determination may be based on either

sex chromosomes A sex chromosome (also referred to as an allosome, heterotypical chromosome, gonosome, heterochromosome, or idiochromosome) is a chromosome that differs from an ordinary autosome in form, size, and behavior. The human sex chromosomes, a typical ...

, or environmental conditions. Most female mammals, including female

human Humans (''Homo sapiens'') are the most abundant and widespread species of primate, characterized by bipedalism and exceptional cognitive skills due to a large and complex brain. This has enabled the development of advanced tools, culture, ...

s, have two

X chromosome The X chromosome is one of the two sex-determining chromosomes ( allosomes) in many organisms, including mammals (the other is the Y chromosome), and is found in both males and females. It is a part of the XY sex-determination system and XO se ...

s. Female characteristics vary between different species with some species having pronounced secondary female sex characteristics, such as the presence of pronounced

mammary gland A mammary gland is an exocrine gland in humans and other mammals that produces milk to feed young offspring. Mammals get their name from the Latin word ''mamma'', "breast". The mammary glands are arranged in organs such as the breasts in pr ...

s in mammals. In humans, the word ''female'' can also be used to refer to

gender Gender is the range of characteristics pertaining to femininity and masculinity and differentiating between them. Depending on the context, this may include sex-based social structures (i.e. gender roles) and gender identity. Most cultures us ...

in the social sense of

gender role A gender role, also known as a sex role, is a social role encompassing a range of behaviors and attitudes that are generally considered acceptable, appropriate, or desirable for a person based on that person's sex. Gender roles are usually cen ...

gender identity Gender identity is the personal sense of one's own gender. Gender identity can correlate with a person's assigned sex or can differ from it. In most individuals, the various biological determinants of sex are congruent, and consistent with the ...

Etymology and usage

The word ''female'' comes from the Latin ''femella'', the diminutive form of ''femina'', meaning "

woman A woman is an adult female human. Prior to adulthood, a female human is referred to as a girl (a female child or adolescent). The plural ''women'' is sometimes used in certain phrases such as "women's rights" to denote female humans regard ...

". It is not etymologically related to the word ''male'', but in the late 14th century the English spelling was altered to parallel that of ''male''.Online Etymology Dictionary - Female (n.)
Retrieved 2019-11-24Donald M. Ayers, ''English Words from Latin and Greek Elements'', second edition (1986, University of Arizona Press), p. 113 ''Female'' is also used as a noun meaning "a female organism", though describing women as ''females'' is often considered disparaging, as it makes no distinction between other animals and humans. Biological sex is conceptually distinct from

, although they are often treated interchangeably. The adjective ''female'' can describe a person's sex or

. The word can also refer to the shape of connectors and fasteners, such as screws, electrical pins, and technical equipment. Under this convention, sockets and receptacles are called ''female,'' and the corresponding plugs ''male''.

Defining characteristics

Females produce ova, the larger gametes in a

heterogamous Heterogamy is a term applied to a variety of distinct phenomena in different scientific domains. Usually having to do with some kind of difference, "hetero", in reproduction, "gamy". See below for more specific senses. Science Reproductive biolog ...

reproduction system The reproductive system of an organism, also known as the genital system, is the biological system made up of all the anatomical organs involved in sexual reproduction. Many non-living substances such as fluids, hormones, and pheromones are ...

, while the smaller and usually

motile Motility is the ability of an organism to move independently, using metabolic energy. Definitions Motility, the ability of an organism to move independently, using metabolic energy, can be contrasted with sessility, the state of organisms th ...

gametes, the

spermatozoa A spermatozoon (; also spelled spermatozoön; ; ) is a motile sperm cell (biology), cell, or moving form of the ploidy, haploid cell (biology), cell that is the male gamete. A spermatozoon Fertilization, joins an ovum to form a zygote. (A zygote ...

, are produced by

s. Generally, a female cannot reproduce sexually without access to the gametes of a male, and vice versa,