Genetics terms

• Fertility refers to the capacity to reproduce successfully for both males and females
• Infertility is a temporary loss of fertility, while sterility is a permanent loss of fertility
• Hypothalamus is a portion of the brain that regulates reproduction, hunger, body temperature, and other functions
• The anterior pituitary (AP) or adenohypophysis is part of the pituitary gland located at the base of the brain that produces several hormones, including gonadotropins
• Corpus luteum is a yellowish body in the mammalian ovary developed from follicular cells which secretes progesterone
• Interstitial cells (Leydig cells) are cells between the seminiferous tubules of the testicle that produce testosterone
• Gonad is one of the two testes of a male or ovaries of a female, which are organs that produce sex cells
• Gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) is a hormone secreted by the hypothalamus that acts on the AP to release gonadotropins (LH and FSH)
• Follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) is a gonadotrophic hormone produced and released by the AP that stimulates the production of estrogens and the development of ovarian follicles in females and spermatogenesis in males
• Testosterone is the male sex hormone that stimulates the accessory sex glands, male sex drive, and the development of male secondary sex characteristics
• Estrogen is a hormone produced mainly in the ovary and placenta responsible for female physiological changes, cyclic changes in the female genital tract, and secondary female sex characteristics
• Progesterone is a hormone produced by the corpus luteum and placenta mainly responsible for progestational proliferation in the uterus for implantation and pregnancy maintenance, mammary and uterine gland development
• Sexual maturity is the time or age reached when gametes become capable of fertilization, indicating a state of full reproductive capacity
• Estrous cycle is a rhythmic sexual behavior pattern developed in female animals during puberty, also known as the "heat cycle" or the time from one heat to the next
• Ovulation is the rupture of a ripe/matured follicle as a response to LH surge, shedding or releasing the ovum
• Superovulation is the production and release of more ova (multiple ovulation) at a single estrus, as performed in embryo transfer
• Copulation or Coitus is the act of sexual intercourse where the semen of the male is deposited in the reproductive tract of the female during mating or breeding service
• Libido refers to the male sex drive
• Semen is a mixture of sperm and accessory gland fluids
• Insemination is the deposition of semen in the female reproductive tract, which can be natural or artificial
• Offspring (progeny) are animals born to a parent, descendants of either the first or a later generation
• Neonate refers to a newborn animal or a young
• Fetus refers to the prenatal stage after fetal membranes (placenta) become functional or beyond the embryo stage
• Sib or siblings are animals with the same parents, like a brother or sister
• Castration is the removal of the testicles of the male to prevent breeding
• Colostrum is the first milk produced
• Gestation is the time an animal is pregnant
• Estrus is when a female is receptive to be bred
• Lactation is the period of time that milk is secreted by the mammary glands
• Parturition is the act of giving birth
• The female ovary is comparable to the male testicle and is the site of gamete production
• The female ovaries have three major functions: gamete production, secretion of estrogen, and formation of the corpus luteum
• The uterine horn is the anterior, divided end of the uterus in the cow, ewe, and mare
• The uterus is a muscular sac connecting fallopian tubes and cervix, which sustains sperm, supports the embryo and fetus during gestation, and expels the fetus at parturition
• The cervix is the area between the uterus and vagina, normally closed but opens at estrus and parturition
• The vagina is the female organ of copulation that admits the penis, receives semen, and serves as a passageway for the fetus at parturition
• The scrotum is an external sac that holds the testicles outside of the body to keep sperm cooler than body temperature
• The testicles are the primary male organs of reproduction that produce sperm and secrete testosterone
• The epididymis is a long coiled tube that provides a path for sperm, storage for sperm, fluid secretion to nourish sperm, and a place for sperm maturation
• The vas deferens is a slender tube from the epididymis to the urethra that moves sperm to the urethra at ejaculation