Book contents
- Understanding Reproduction
- Series page
- Understanding Reproduction
- Copyright page
- Reviews
- Contents
- Foreword
- Preface
- Acknowledgements
- 1 Individuals and Reproduction
- 2 Reproduction in the Life Cycle
- 3 Reproduction Without Sex
- 4 Reproduction with Sex
- 5 Two-Parent Sexual Reproduction
- 6 One-Parent (or Nearly so) Sexual Reproduction
- 7 Development of Sexual Traits
- 8 Widening the View: Reproductive Strategies
- Concluding Remarks: Difficult Boundaries
- Summary of Common Misunderstandings
- References and Further Reading
- Figure Credits
- Index
Concluding Remarks: Difficult Boundaries
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 27 July 2023
- Understanding Reproduction
- Series page
- Understanding Reproduction
- Copyright page
- Reviews
- Contents
- Foreword
- Preface
- Acknowledgements
- 1 Individuals and Reproduction
- 2 Reproduction in the Life Cycle
- 3 Reproduction Without Sex
- 4 Reproduction with Sex
- 5 Two-Parent Sexual Reproduction
- 6 One-Parent (or Nearly so) Sexual Reproduction
- 7 Development of Sexual Traits
- 8 Widening the View: Reproductive Strategies
- Concluding Remarks: Difficult Boundaries
- Summary of Common Misunderstandings
- References and Further Reading
- Figure Credits
- Index
Summary
Delimiting the biological process we call reproduction with respect to other biological processes is not as easy as it may first appear. Exploring these ‘difficult boundaries’ – or, if you prefer, these ‘grey areas’ – is not a mere academic exercise. Our descriptions and classifications can significantly affect investigations and understanding, allowing similarities and differences among the reproductive phenomena to appear, or hiding them from our sight. Our schemes may prove adequate to address some questions, while at the same time being totally inadequate to look into others. As we approach the end of the book, we are now equipped to look at some of these difficult boundaries.
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- Understanding Reproduction , pp. 167 - 171Publisher: Cambridge University PressPrint publication year: 2023