What is Oviparous and viviparous? — Biology

Definition 23.4 Primary & Middle School Biology · Chapter 23 — How Animals Reproduce

Definition 8.1’s two ways of being born now get their scientific names:

an animal is oviparous if the female lays eggs, and the young finish growing inside the egg, outside her body: birds, most fish, most reptiles, amphibians, insects, snails;
an animal is viviparous if the young grows inside the mother’s body, fed by her, and is born alive: nearly all mammals.

Examples

Example 23.5 (Two nurseries)

The hen’s chick spends three warm weeks in a shelled egg, living off the yolk (Remark 8.3); the foal spends eleven months inside the mare, fed continuously by her body, and is born ready to stand within the hour. Same goal, two nurseries: one packed lunch in a shell, one room service inside.

Read in context →

Examples

Related terms