Gynandromorphous (/ˌɡaɪnænˈdrɒməfəs/) is a biological term that describes an organism or a part of the organism having both male and female characteristics. The word is spelled using the combination of "gyno-" meaning female, "andro-" meaning male and "-morphous" meaning having the form of. The pronunciation of the word is "/ɡaɪnæn'drɒməfəs/". It is a complex word, and the IPA phonetic transcription helps to accurately represent and understand its spelling and pronunciation. The word is commonly used in the fields of biology, genetics, and zoology.
Gynandromorphous is an adjective that describes an individual exhibiting characteristics or features of both sexes in animals or plants. The term is derived from the Greek words "gyno" meaning female, "andro" meaning male, and "morph" meaning form or shape.
In biology, gynandromorphous refers to organisms that present a combination of male and female traits or physical characteristics. This peculiar condition can be observed in certain species of birds, butterflies, insects, and other organisms. Gynandromorphous individuals typically have distinct features from both sexes, such as a mosaic pattern of male and female plumage in birds or bilateral asymmetry in butterflies, where one side displays male characteristics and the other side exhibits female characteristics.
The occurrence of gynandromorphous traits is predominantly due to irregularities during the process of sex determination or genetic mutation. It is often considered a rare phenomenon, which attracts considerable scientific interest and curiosity. Researchers often study gynandromorphous organisms to gain insights into sex determination mechanisms, genetic processes, and developmental biology.
In conclusion, gynandromorphous refers to the state or condition of an organism possessing characteristics of both sexes. This term is primarily used in biology to describe individuals with a combination of male and female traits, resulting from irregularities during sex determination or genetic mutations.
having both male and female characteristics
A practical medical dictionary. By Stedman, Thomas Lathrop. Published 1920.
The word gynandromorphous is derived from Greek roots. It combines three Greek words: gyné meaning woman, andro meaning man, and morphé meaning form or shape. The suffix -ous is added to indicate an adjective form. Therefore, gynandromorphous can be understood as having the form or shape of both a man and a woman.