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Glite Dictionary
ovotestis

ovotestis

9.9
A sex organ that has both tissue for making eggs and tissue for making sperm
  • noun
  • /ˌoʊvoʊˈtɛstɪs/
  • Specialized
: ovotestis
  • Some fish, like certain species of wrasses, have an ovotestis that allows them to produce both sperm and eggs.

Examples

  • In some hermaphroditic animals, the ovotestis plays a crucial role in reproduction by containing both male and female reproductive tissues.

  • The ovotestis is an important adaptation for hermaphroditic species, enabling them to have greater reproductive flexibility.

  • A: Mouth B: Intestines C: Ovotestis D: Lungs

    Academic text (2007)

Surface Forms

ovotestis singular
ovotestes plural

Morphology

ovotestis = testis (semi-transparent) = ovo + testis

The combining form 'ovo-' plus 'testis' clearly indicates both egg/ovarian and testicular tissue, but 'ovo-' is a technical combining form unfamiliar to general learners.

Etymology

Ovotestis comes from ovo- ('egg') and testis ('testicle'), so the word names a single reproductive organ that has both egg-producing and testicle tissue.