Abstract
Sex, sex—the term is so rich with implications, and we use it in so many contexts. Most often its mention brings to mind some behavioral or psychological aspect that is really incidental to its central significance—which is that it allows organisms to recombine their attributes at the same time that they reproduce. In other words, the essence of sex is that it allows new combinations of characteristics to arise in organisms. And this potentiality has allowed living things to change with changing environments in space and time. It is this biological change that is called evolution.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Copyright information
© 1964 Wadsworth Publishing Company, Inc.
About this chapter
Cite this chapter
Cook, S.A. (1964). Fundamental Concepts. In: Reproduction, Heredity and Sexuality. Fundamentals of Botany Series. Palgrave, London. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-349-00155-2_1
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-349-00155-2_1
Publisher Name: Palgrave, London
Print ISBN: 978-0-333-02199-6
Online ISBN: 978-1-349-00155-2
eBook Packages: Biomedical and Life SciencesBiomedical and Life Sciences (R0)