self-fertilize
self-fertilize — verb
- self-fertilizepresent simple I / you / we / they
- self-fertilizes3rd person singular
- self-fertilizing-ing form
- self-fertilizedpast simple
1. When a plant or animal produces offspring by using its own male reproductive cel
When a plant or animal produces offspring by using its own male reproductive cells to join with its own female egg cells, without receiving sperm or pollen from another member of the same species.
In the greenhouse, the pea plants self-fertilized without any bees or wind to carry pollen.
intransitive: plant + self-fertilized + condition
Nikos studied whether the wild strawberries could self-fertilize inside the isolation tent.
transitive: [researcher] + study whether + plant + self-fertilize
Biologists observed that some species of rice can self-fertilize when pollinators are scarce.
These flowers were covered with paper bags to test if they could self-fertilize without insects.
Haruto wants to breed a tomato that does not self-fertilize, keeping its genetic traits more varied.
- self-pollinate
Narrower — only refers to pollen transfer in plants, not the actual union of gametes that creates the offspring
- self-reproduce
Broader and less technical — can describe any form of reproduction without a partner, including asexual methods
- cross-fertilize
Describes the opposite process where male cells come from a different individual of the same species
文法句型
plant/animal + self-fertilize(s/ed)
plant/animal + self-fertilize + [its own eggs/ova]
用法筆記
Frequently appears in botanical and biological writing. Most often describes plants with both male and female reproductive parts (hermaphroditic flowers). The passive form ('was self-fertilized') is common in scientific papers. The intransitive use ('the plant self-fertilizes') is more frequent than the transitive use ('the plant self-fertilizes its ovules').
常見錯誤
self-fertilize — noun
1. The process in which an egg cell is joined with male reproductive material from
The process in which an egg cell is joined with male reproductive material from the same plant or animal, creating offspring that inherit only the parent's genetic information.
Self-fertilization in corn is rare because its male and female flowers grow on separate parts.
self-fertilization + in + [species] + reason
Sari's research paper explains how self-fertilization reduces genetic diversity in bean crops over many generations.
Camila noticed that self-fertilization happened more often in the older tomato varieties she was growing.
Farmers sometimes prevent self-fertilization by planting different crop varieties close together to encourage cross-pollination.
After several generations of self-fertilization, the wheat plants showed less variation in height.
- autogamy
The formal scientific term for self-fertilization, most common in specialist biology texts and research papers
- self-pollination
More restricted — describes only the transfer of pollen to the stigma in plants, not the fertilization step that follows
- cross-fertilization
The process where male cells from one individual join with female cells from a different individual
- allogamy
The formal scientific term for cross-fertilization
文法句型
self-fertilization + of + [organism]
through/by/after + self-fertilization
rate/process/occurrence + of + self-fertilization
用法筆記
Uncountable noun. Commonly used in phrases such as 'rate of self-fertilization,' 'self-fertilization in [species],' and 'self-fertilization occurs when…' Distinguish from 'self-pollination,' which covers only the transfer of pollen to the stigma, not the actual fusion of gametes.