Gonía

Gonía is a term used in biology to refer to the reproductive organs that produce gametes in organisms. The word has roots related to reproduction and offspring, and its exact usage varies across languages and traditions.

In zoology, gonía typically denote the gonads, the ovaries and testes, which generate eggs and sperm and often secrete sex hormones. In humans and most vertebrates, the gonads also function as endocrine glands, influencing development and secondary sexual characteristics.

In botany and mycology, the concept is related but terminology differs. Plants and algae usually use structures called gametangia to produce gametes, and the term gonía may appear in older or region‑specific texts to indicate analogous reproductive organs. Some algae-specific literature also uses terms such as gonidia for certain reproductive cells, though this usage is not universal.

Usage notes: the term is not uniformly applied across fields or languages, so modern writing often specifies the exact structure involved (gonads in animals; gametangia or gametes in plants and algae) to avoid ambiguity. Etymologically, the word is derived from Greek roots connected to reproduction, and its usage reflects historical rather than universal taxonomic practice.

See also: Gonads, Gametogenesis, Gametangia, Gonidium.