Fertilization

Definition

The process of adding nutrients to the soil to enhance plant growth.

Ethical Language Guidance

Gender History

Scientific language historically centered male sperm as 'active agent' while framing egg as passive; recent research reveals egg's active role in selecting/repelling sperm, correcting male-centric model.

Inclusive Usage

Use precise biological terminology; acknowledge both gamete contributions equally; avoid metaphors of conquest/penetration that import gendered hierarchy.

Inclusive Alternatives

["reproduction","gamete fusion"]

Empowerment Note

Women reproductive scientists (e.g., Evelyn Fox Keller) showed how male-bias in reproductive metaphors reflected not biology but cultural assumptions; egg's agency is biological fact, not feminist correction.

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