offspring

Offspring is the term used to refer to the direct descendants of a living organism. It applies across the tree of life, including humans, other animals, plants, and fungi, where the young may be animals, seeds, spores, or juvenile individuals. In English, offspring is generally treated as both singular and plural; one offspring and two or more offspring are standard forms, while "offsprings" is rare and usually avoided.

In sexually reproducing species, offspring inherit genetic material from two parents, resulting in genetic variation among siblings. Fertilization creates a zygote, which develops through embryonic and post-embryonic stages into an adult. In species that reproduce asexually, offspring can be genetically identical copies of the parent, produced by mechanisms such as budding, fission, or parthenogenesis.

Development and parental care vary widely. Some offspring are capable of independent survival shortly after birth or hatching, while others require extensive parental feeding, protection, and teaching. Parental investment and social structure influence survival, mating systems, and kin relationships. In plants, offspring are often seeds produced by sexual reproduction, though many species also generate clonal offspring through runners, bulbs, or budding.

The concept of offspring is central to biology, ecology, and evolution, as it underpins population dynamics, heredity, and species persistence. In human society, the term is commonly used to refer to one's children or descendants and features in legal, cultural, and ethical contexts.