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A '''hermaphrodite''' is an organism having both male and female reproductive organs.<ref></ref> In many species, hermaphroditism is a common part of the life-cycle, enabling a form of sexual reproduction in which partners are not separated into distinct male and female types of individual. Hermaphroditism most commonly occurs in ]s, although it is also found in some ], and to a lesser degree in other ]s.

Historically, the term hermaphrodite has also been used to describe ] and ] in individuals of ] species, especially human beings. The term comes from the name of the minor Greek god '']'', son of '']'' and '']'' (see below).

Recently, ] has been used and preferred by many such individuals, encouraging medical professionals to use the term.<ref></ref>

== Zoology ==
===Sequential hermaphrodites===
Sequential hermaphrodites (]) occurs in species in which the individual is born as one sex but can later change into the alternate sex. This is in contrast with simultaneous hermaphrodites, in which an individual may possess fully functional male and female gonads. Sequential hermaphroditism is common in ] fish, especially marine reef species. While some sequential hermaphrodites can change sex multiple times, most can only change sex once.

Sequential hermaphrodites fall into two broad categories:

*'''Protandry''': Where an organism is born as a male, and then changes sex to a female.
**Example: The ] (Genus ]) are colorful reef fish found living in ] with ]. Generally one anemone contains a 'harem', consisting of a large female, a smaller reproductive male, and even smaller non-reproductive males. If the female is removed, the reproductive male will change sex and the largest of the non-reproductive males will mature and become reproductive. It has been shown that fishing pressure can change when the switch from male to female occurs, since fishermen naturally prefer to catch the larger fish. The populations are generally changing sex at a smaller size, due to ].
*'''Protogyny''': Where the organism starts as a female, and then changes sex to a male.
**Example: ] (Family ]) are a group of reef fish in which protogyny is common. Wrasses also have an uncommon life history strategy, which is termed diandry (literally, two males). In these species, two male morphs exists: an initial phase male or a terminal phase male. Initial phase males do not look like males and spawn in groups with other females. They are not territorial. They are perhaps, female mimics (which is why they are found swimming in group with other females). Terminal phase males are territorial, and have a distinctively bright coloration. Individuals are born as males or females but if they are born males, they are not born as Terminal Phase males. Females and initial phase males can become terminal phase males. Usually the most dominant female or initial phase male replaces any terminal phase male, when those males die or abandon the group.

===Simultaneous hermaphrodites===<!-- This section is linked from ] -->
A simultaneous hermaphrodite (or '''synchronous hermaphrodite''') is an adult organism that has both male and female sexual organs at the same time. Usually, ] does not occur.

*]s are perhaps the most classic of simultaneous hermaphrodite, and the most widespread of terrestrial animals possessing this sexual polymorphism. Sexual material is exchanged between both animals via ] which can then be stored in the ]. After exchange of spermatazoa, both animals will lay fertilized eggs after a period of gestation, which then proceed to hatch after a development period. Snails typically reproduce in early spring and late autumn.
*]s, unlike other fish, seem quite at ease mating in front of divers, allowing observations in the wild to occur readily. They do not practice self-fertilization, but when they find a mate, the pair takes turns between which one acts as the male and which acts as the female through multiple matings, usually over the course of several nights.

*]s are another example of a simultaneous hermaphrodite. Although they possess ovaries and testes, they have a protective mechanism against self fertilization and can only function as a single sex at one time. Sexual reproduction occurs when two worms meet and exchange ], copulating on damp nights during warm seasons. Fertilized eggs are protected by a cocoon, which is buried on or near the surface of the ground.

*]s are one more simultaneous hermaphrodite example. Mating with a partner is most desirable, as the genetic material of the offspring is varied, but if mating with a partner is not possible, self-fertilization is practised. The male sexual organ of an adult banana slug is quite large in proportion to its size, as well as compared to the female organ. It is possible for banana slugs, while mating, to become stuck together. If a substantial amount of wiggling fails to separate them, the male organ will be bitten off (with the slug's ]). If a banana slug has lost its male sexual organ, it can still self-fertilize, making its hermaphroditic quality an invaluable adaptation.

===Pseudohermaphroditism===
Female ]s have a ] that is greatly enlarged, so much so, that they were described as hermaphrodites — not only by the ancient Greeks, but as recently as the twentieth century among circus animal handlers — until scientific information was provided that clarified the misunderstanding.

==Botany==<!-- This section is linked from ] -->
{{main|Plant sexuality}}

]|thumb|left|250px]]
'''Hermaphrodite''' is used in ] to describe a ] that has both ] (male, pollen-producing) and ]late (female, ovule-producing) parts. This condition is seen in many common garden plants. A closer analogy to hermaphrodism in animals is the presence of separate male and female flowers on the same individual&mdash;such plants are called '''monoecious'''. Monoecy is especially common in ], but occurs in only about 7% of angiosperm species (Molnar, 2004).

], Palazzo Massimo Alle Terme in Rome]]
]''
]

== Other uses of the term ==
{{main|Intersexuality}}

''Hermaphrodite'' was used to describe any person incompatible with the biological ], but has recently been replaced by '']'' in medicine. Humans with typical reproductive organs but atypical clitoris/penis are called ] in medical literature.

Whether hermaphroditism is a disorder or merely an unusual condition is a matter of opinion. In some cultures, the common assumption is that most people are, or at least should be, either male or female.{{Fact|date=September 2007}} This assumption can make life difficult for hermaphrodites. However, in other cultures hermaphroditism is considered an ideal which can have religious overtones or simply be seen as admirable.

People with ] conditions sometimes choose to live exclusively as one sex or the other, using clothing, social cues, genital surgery, and ] to blend into the sex they identify with more closely. Some people who are intersexed, such as some of those with ] and ], outwardly appear completely female or male already, without realizing they are intersexed. Other kinds of intersex conditions are identified immediately at birth because those with the condition have a sexual organ larger than a clitoris and smaller than a penis. Intersexuality is thought by some to be caused by unusual sex hormones; the unusual hormones may be caused by an atypical set of sex chromosomes.

] (based on work by his associate ]) held fetal hermaphroditism to be a fact of the physiological development of humans. He was so certain of this, in fact, that he based much of his theory of innate sexuality on that assumption. Similarly, in contemporary times, fetuses before ] are sometimes described as female by doctors explaining the process.<ref>{{cite book |last=Leyner |first=Mark |coauthors=Billly Goldberg M.D. |title=Why Do Men Have Nipples?: Hundreds of Questions You'd Only Ask Your Doctor After Your Third Martini. |year=2005 |publisher=Three Rivers Press |isbn=1400082315 }}</ref> Neither concept is technically true. Before this stage, humans are simply undifferentiated and possess a ], a ], and a ].

== Etymology ==
The term "hermaphrodite" derives from ], the son of ] and ] in ], who was fused with a ], ], resulting in one individual possessing physical traits of both sexes. Thus Hermaphroditus could be called, using modern terminology, a simultaneous hermaphrodite. The mythological figure of ], who figures in the ] as well as the ], could be called a sequential hermaphrodite, having been changed from a man to a woman and back by the gods.

==In fiction==
]'s novel '']'' featured a planet inhabited by humans whose ancestors had modified themselves to be sequential hermaphrodites. For twenty-four days of each twenty-six day lunar cycle, they were sexually latent ], and for the remaining two days were male or female, as determined by ] negotiation with an interested sex partner.

The 1990 ] ] novel '']'' and its 1993 film adaptation featured ]s exhibiting a sequential hermaphrodite transformation as a key plot point. The ability of the scientists to maintain control over the park's cloned dinosaur population was derived by preventing the dinosaurs from developing a ] while in fetal development, thus ensuring that they were all females. However, the scientists used ] of some other animals with sequential hermaphroditic abilities to complete fragmented portions of the dinosaurs' DNA, allowing some of them to become male in adulthood, and mate.

], one of the ]'s henchmen in '']'' series, is a hermaphrodite.

The '']'' series features the Hermat species, including ]. Hermats possess both male and female characteristics.

The main character, Ichijou Mashiro, of the manga series '']'' is a hermaphrodite. He struggles throughout the series trying to identify with one sex or the other.

In '']'', ] are Hermaphrodites.

The 2002 novel '']'' is narrated by its protagonist, Calliope Stephanides, who is a true hermaphrodite.

The Greek mythical figure ] appears in many classical and modern works, including '']'', '']'' and '']''.

In '']'' Season 2 Episode 15, Dr. Mephisto reveals that Ms.Cartman is a hermaphrodite.<ref>http://en.wikipedia.org/Cartman's_Mom_Is_Still_a_Dirty_Slut</ref>

==See also==
*]
*], an alternative reproduction system in which the sexes are distinct, determined genetically and do not change during an individual's lifetime
*]
*]
*]
*"]," a ] song which translates to hermaphrodite
*''],'' a novel with an intersex protagonist

==Notes==
{{reflist}}

== References ==
#Randall, John E.,(2005) ''Reef and Shore Fishes of the South Pacific'', Univ. of Hawaii Press, p346 and 387. ISBN 0-8248-2698-1
#SeaWorld/Busch Gardens Animal Information Database,
#Kyu-Rae Kim M.D., et al. , ''Modern Pathology'', 2002;15(10):1013
#Discovery Health Channel, (2007) "I Am My Own Twin"

== External links ==
*
* http://www.hermaphroditism.info/ More information on hermaphroditism)]
*

== Further reading ==
* Anne Fausto-Sterling, "How Many Sexes Are There?" from The New York Times, Op-Ed page, March 12, 1993, reprinted in Sterling Harwood, ed., Business as Ethical and Business as Usual (Belmont, CA: Wadsworth Publishing Co., 1996), pages 168-170.
* M.M. Grumbach, and F.A. Conte. 1998. "Disorders of sex differentiation." in Williams Textbook of Endocrinology, eds. J.D. Wilson, D.W. Foster, H.M. Kronenberg, and P.R. Larsen, (Philadelphia: W B Saunders:1303-1425).
* Molnar, Sebastian. 2004. , internet version posted February 17, 2004.
* Kyu-Rae Kim M.D., et al. , ''Modern Pathology'', 2002;15(10):1013–1019
* Chase, Cheryl. (1998). "Affronting Reason" in Looking Queer: Body Image and Identity as Lesbian, Bisexual, Gay and Transgender Communities, edited by David Atkins, pages 205-219. (Publishing 1998 Haworth Press).

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Revision as of 02:10, 11 January 2009

hermaphrodites suckk !