önmegtermékenyítés

Önmegtermékenyítés, more commonly known as self-fertilization, is a process where an organism fertilizes itself. This occurs in various organisms, including plants, fungi, and some animals. In plants, self-fertilization can happen when the pollen from a flower fertilizes the ovules of the same flower or another flower on the same plant. This is facilitated by various mechanisms that ensure pollen transfer, such as wind, water, or pollinators. Many plants have evolved strategies to promote or prevent self-fertilization, including spatial separation of male and female reproductive organs within a flower, temporal differences in their maturation, or genetic self-incompatibility systems.

In fungi, self-fertilization can involve the fusion of hyphae from the same individual or genetically identical individuals. This process is crucial for reproduction in some fungal species, allowing them to persist and spread. For some hermaphroditic animals, such as certain snails, flatworms, and nematodes, self-fertilization is also a reproductive option. These animals possess both male and female reproductive organs, and under certain conditions, they can fertilize their own eggs. While self-fertilization can be advantageous by ensuring reproduction even when mates are scarce, it generally leads to reduced genetic diversity compared to cross-fertilization. This can potentially make populations less adaptable to environmental changes or more susceptible to diseases over the long term.