NOTE! There are poems at the bottom of each page that are essential for this project so please read.
So what is the definition of a species?
It is defined as a group of organisms that can interbreed and produce offsprings that are fertile or a species is the biggest gene pool possible under natural conditions. FERTILE offspring, which means that the offspring of the parents can also have their own kids. For example, an elephant can mate with another elephant of the same species, and their baby can also have babies.
It is defined as a group of organisms that can interbreed and produce offsprings that are fertile or a species is the biggest gene pool possible under natural conditions. FERTILE offspring, which means that the offspring of the parents can also have their own kids. For example, an elephant can mate with another elephant of the same species, and their baby can also have babies.
However, if for example, a male lion and a female tiger mate to produce a liger, the liger is sterile. Being sterile means that they cannot mate to produce offspring. A liger is a hybrid, an offspring of two distinct species. One reason for the sterility, is because there are two different species, and their chromosomes might not be the same number, and so the genetic instruction might not be passed on for them to produce their own sex cells.
(Left: Liger)
(Left: Liger)
Defining a species might seem simple and straightforward, but in the natural world, there are places where the definition is questionable. For example, bacteria that reproduce asexually, maybe by binary fission, and cannot be classified as a group of interbreeding organisms. Therefore, the definition of a group of organisms that interbreed and produce fertile offspring cannot be easily applied here.
So basically:
A group of organisms, whose babies can have babies,
Just as long as the dudes can mate with the ladies.
If they can't have kids, well they're sterile,
just because two different species get along for a while.
Defining is not simple or really that easy,
Especially if the organisms reproduce asexually. :D
So basically:
A group of organisms, whose babies can have babies,
Just as long as the dudes can mate with the ladies.
If they can't have kids, well they're sterile,
just because two different species get along for a while.
Defining is not simple or really that easy,
Especially if the organisms reproduce asexually. :D