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, which is also the Alchemical Symbol for iron, represents the male sex]] Male (♂) refers to the sex of an organism, or part of an organism, which produces small mobile Gametes , called Spermatozoa . Each spermatozoon can fuse with a larger Female gamete or Ovum , in the process of Fertilisation . A male cannot reproduce Sexually without access to at least one ovum from a female, but some organisms can reproduce both sexually and asexually. Not all species share a common across different Evolutionary Lineages (see Convergent Evolution ). Accordingly, sex is defined Operationally across species by the type of gametes produced (ie: spermatozoa vs. ova) and differences between males and females in one lineage are not always predictive of differences in another. Male/Female Dimorphism between organisms or reproductive organs of different sexes is not limited to animals; male gametes are produced by Chytrids , Diatoms and land Plants , among others. In land plants, ''female'' and ''male'' designate not only the female and male gamete-producing organisms and structures but also the structures of the Sporophyte s that give rise to male and female plants. Female being the more dominant species, female gametes override any male gamete present. SECONDARY SEX CHARACTERISTICS See Also: Secondary sex characteristic In those species with two sexes, males may differ from females in ways other than production of spermatozoa. Males are generally smaller than females in seed plants (the Pollen grain is the male plant) and many fishes and birds, but larger in many mammals, including humans. In birds, the male often exhibits a colourful Plumage that attracts females. SEX DETERMINATION See Also: 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, Hermaphroditic animals have both male and female reproductive organs. 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 (mostly butterflies and moths) 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 , the dominant individual in a group becomes female while the other ones are male. In some Arthropod s, sex is determined by infection. Bacteria of the genus '' Wolbachia '' alter their sexuality; some species consist entirely of ZZ individuals, with sex determined by the presence of ''Wolbachia''. ANATOMY All males, regardless of independent origin, kingdom, or other Phylogenetic subdivision, share at least the anatomy to produce male gametes. Some have sophisticated Organ s and Organ System s designed to produce, dispense, and deliver the gamete to a location suitable for ovum fertilisation. Even where structures and cell types have arisen independently, " Sperm " is ordinarily used to refer to the male gamete. Among animals that undergo Internal Fertilization , " Penis " is often used to refer to an organ inserted into the female for Insemination . SYMBOLS A common . This is a stylized representation of the Roman God Mars ' shield and spear. SEE ALSO
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