Female (♀) is the sex of an organism, or a part of an organism, which produces non-mobile ova (egg cells).

Defining characteristics

The ova are defined as the larger gametes in a heterogamous reproduction system, while the smaller, usually motile gamete, the spermatozoon, is produced by the male. A female individual cannot reproduce sexually without access to the gametes of a male (an exception is parthenogenesis). Some organisms can reproduce both sexually and asexually.

There is no single genetic mechanism behind sex differences in different species and the existence of two sexes seems to have evolved multiple times independently in different evolutionary lineages. Patterns of sexual reproduction include

isogamous species with two or more mating types with gametes of identical form and behavior (but different at the molecular level),

anisogamous species with gametes of male and female types,

oogamous species in which the female gamete is very much larger than the male and has no ability to move. There is an argument that this pattern was driven by the physical constraints on the mechanisms by which two gametes get together as required for sexual reproduction.

Other than the defining difference in the type of gamete produced, differences between males and females in one lineage cannot always be predicted by differences in another. The concept is not limited to animals; egg cells are produced by chytrids, diatoms, water moulds and land plants, among others. In land plants, ''female'' and ''male'' designate not only the egg- and sperm-producing organisms and structures, but also the structures of the sporophytes that give rise to male and female plants.

Etymology and usage

The word female comes from the Latin ''femella'', the diminutive form of ''femina'', meaning "woman," which is not etymologically related to the word ''male''. In the late 14th century, the spelling was altered in English to parallel the spelling of ''male''.

Mammalian female

A distinguishing characteristic of the class ''Mammalia'' is the presence of mammary glands. The mammary glands are modified sweat glands that produce milk, which is used to feed the young for some time after birth. Only mammals produce milk. Mammary glands are most obvious in humans, as the female human body stores large amounts of fatty tissue near the nipples, resulting in prominent breasts. Today some human females also surgically augment their breast size. However, mammary glands are present in all mammals, although they are vestigial in the male of the species.

The mammalian female has two copies of the X chromosome as opposed to the male which carries only one X and one smaller Y chromosome. To compensate for the difference in size, one of the female's X chromosomes is randomly inactivated in each cell. In birds and reptiles, by contrast, it is the female who is heterozygous and carries a Z and a W chromosome whilst the male carries two Z chromosomes.

Mammalian females bear live young (with the rare exception of monotremes, which lay eggs). Some non-mammalian species, such as guppies, have analogous reproductive structures; and some other non-mammals, such as sharks, whose eggs hatch inside their bodies, also have the appearance of bearing live young.

Symbol

A common symbol used to represent the female sex is ♀ (Unicode: U+2640 Alt codes: Alt+12), a circle with a small cross underneath. According to Schott, the most established view is that the male and female symbols "are derived from contractions in Greek script of the Greek names of these planets, namely Thouros (Mars) and Phosphoros (Venus). These derivations have been traced by Renkama who illustrated how Greek letters can be transformed into the graphic male and female symbols still recognised today." Thouros was abbreviated by θρ, and Phosphoros by Φκ, which were contracted into the modern symbols.

Sex determination

The sex of a particular organism may be determined by a number of factors. These may be genetic or environmental, or may naturally change during the course of an organism's life. Although most species with male and female sexes have individuals that are either male or female, hermaphroditic animals have both male and female reproductive organs.

Genetic determination

The sex of most mammals, including humans, is genetically determined by the XY sex-determination system where males have X and Y (as opposed to X and X) sex chromosomes. During reproduction, the male contributes either an X sperm or a Y sperm, while the female always contributes an X egg. A Y sperm and an X egg produce a boy, while an X sperm and an X egg produce a girl. The ZW sex-determination system, where males have ZZ (as opposed to ZW) sex chromosomes, is found in birds and some insects and other organisms. Members of Hymenoptera, such as ants and bees, are determined by haplodiploidy, where most males are haploid and females and some sterile males are diploid.

Environmental determination

The young of some species develop into one sex or the other depending on local environmental conditions, e.g. many crocodilians' sex is influenced by the temperature of their eggs. Other species (such as the goby) can transform, as adults, from one sex to the other in response to local reproductive conditions (such as a shortage of males).

See also

Dakini

Femininity

Feminine side

Gestation

Girl

Lactation

Male

Transwoman

Transman

Woman

Womyn

Sources

Ayers, Donald M. English Words from Latin and Greek Elements. Second Edition. 1986. University of Arizona Press. United States.

References

Category:Gender Category:Sex Category:Women

am:ሴት (ጾታ) ar:أنثى arc:ܢܩܒܬܐ ay:Qachu az:Dişi bn:স্ত্রী zh-min-nan:Chhu-sèng be:Самка be-x-old:Саміца br:Parez ca:Femella cv:Ама sn:Nzvari cy:Benyw de:Weibliches Geschlecht et:Naissugu el:Θηλυκό es:Hembra eo:Ina sekso fa:ماده (جنس) fr:Femelle gd:Boireannach gl:Femia ko:암컷 ig:Nwanyi id:Betina is:Kvenkyn it:Femmina (biologia) he:נקבה la:Femina (sexus) lv:Mātīte lt:Patelė ln:Ebɛ́mbɛ́ hu:Nőnem (biológia) mr:मादी ms:Betina nl:Vrouwelijk (biologie) ja:メス (動物) no:Hun oc:Femèla pl:Samica pt:Fêmea ro:Femelă qu:China uywa rue:Саміця ru:Самка sa:स्त्री simple:Female sk:Samica so:Dhedig su:Bikang fi:Naaras sv:Hona tt:Ана зат te:ఆడ tr:Dişi uk:Жіноча стать ur:مؤنث fiu-vro:Imäne yi:נקיבה zh-yue:乸 bat-smg:Muotrėška lītės zh:雌性

name	Ray J
alias	Willie Norwood, Jr.
background	solo_singer
birth name	William Ray Norwood Jr.
born	January 17, 1981
origin	Carson, California, United States
instrument	Vocals
genre	R&B, hip hop, pop
occupation	Singer, songwriter, actor, record producer, rapper
years active	1995–present
label	Atlantic, Knockout/Deja 34, E1, Koch Entertainment, Elektra
associated acts	Brandy, Diplo, Gucci Mane Kim Kardashian
website	www.rayj.com
notable instruments	}}

William Ray Norwood Jr. (born January 17, 1981), better known by his stage name Ray J, is an American singer, songwriter, record producer and actor.

Early life

William Ray Norwood Jr. was born in McComb, Mississippi to Willie Norwood and Sonja Bates-Norwood. His older sister Brandy is an award-winning, multi-platinum recording artist. His first cousin, Snoop Dogg, is a multi-platinum recording rapper.

Early in Ray J's career, he was known for wearing a Pacers headband.

Music career

Everything You Wanted (1997)

Elektra Records in 1995 and recorded his debut album ''Everything You Want'' the next year. "Let It Go" appeared on the ''Set It Off'' soundtrack. It peaked number 25 in the U.S. and number 11 in New Zealand. The second single peaked at number 54 on the U.S. R&B chart. In 1997, he was dropped from the label. He produced, putting together the music for several commercials and a few of the demos for his second record.

This Ain't a Game (2001)

Ray J recorded "Another Day in Paradise" with Brandy, which was a Top Ten success in Austria, UK, Germany, Sweden, Switzerland, Belgium, Norway, Ireland, the Netherlands and number 11 in Australia and France. The song was the lead single of the R&B/Hip Hop tribute ''Urban Renewal'', in which he co-produced and performed songs. Norwood also worked with The Neptunes, Rodney Jerkins and Lil' Kim, and several other producers and singers for his second studio album ''This Ain't A Game''. The album was released in 2001. The lead single "Wait A Minute" peaked at #30 on the U.S. Hot 100 chart and #8 on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart. "Formal Invite" followed at #54 on the R&B chart.

Raydiation (2005)

After a two year break, Norwood returned to recording studios, adding the finishing touches on his third studio album ''Raydiation'' with help from producers such as Rodney Jerkins, Timbaland, R. Kelly, and Rob Egerton. A joint venture by Sanctuary Records and Ray-J's own label, independent Knockout Entertainment, the album was finally released on September 27, 2005 in North America after several delays, debuting at number forty-eight on the ''Billboard'' 200 chart, selling 18,321 copies in the first week. The album's lead single "One Wish" was a top 20 success in the US, UK, Ireland, and New Zealand. ''Raydiation'' eventually sold over 400,000 copies domestically.

All I Feel (2008)

Knockout Entertainment announced a multi-million dollar album deal with Koch Records and Shaquille O'Neal's "Deja 34" entertainment company. The first album for this deal is Ray J's fourth album ''All I Feel'', which features The Game and Yung Berg among others. It was released on April 1, 2008. The album's first single is "Sexy Can I" featuring rapper Yung Berg peaked at number three on the Top Singles (Hot 100) for six weeks. A video for the track, directed by R. Malcolm Jones, was shot in December 2007. J stars in the Black Christmas movie Dark Christmas under the direction from Deon Taylor.

Raydiation 2 (2010-present)

Ray J is currently working with his sister Brandy Norwood on their collaboration album Trust, Knowledge & Opportunity & his upcoming solo album Raydiation 2 with his first single "Last Wish" The sequel to his 2005 smash hit "One Wish" both produced by hit maker Rodney Jerkins.

Other Ventures

Acting career

Early in his life, he moved with his family from McComb, Mississippi to Carson, California, and in 1989 started appearing in television commercials for different companies. In 1989, at the age of eight, Norwood began auditioning for and appearing in television commercials; he played the foster son in "The Sinbad Show, from 1993-1994. This period in Norwood's life would shape his acting career to come. According to Bradley Torreano of allmusic, "his easygoing image and boyish looks appealed to the producers of Brandy's television show, ''Moesha''", giving him a role on the UPN series starting in 1999 as Dorian "D-Money". In 2005, Norwood joined the cast of UPN's ''One On One'', where he played the character of D-Mack for the final season. On both shows, Ray's character was related to Brandy's (cousin/half-brother on ''Moesha'', brother on ''One on One'').

Reality Television

In 2009, Norwood starred in his own VH1 reality dating show, For the Love of Ray J. The show premiered on February 2, 2009. For his show on March 24, 2009 he released the soundtrack/studio album called ''For The Love Of Ray J''. On November 2, 2009, the show's second season premiered. In 2010, Norwood and his sister Brandy Norwood premiered the VH1 reality series ''Brandy and Ray J: A Family Business'' along with their parents. He also played the role of Roberto in the movie Christmas at Water's Edge in 2004.The show debuted in April 2010 and chronicled the backstage happenings of both siblings, while taking a bigger role in their family's management and production company, R&B Productions.

Personal life

Ray J is the brother of singer Brandy Norwood and first cousin of rapper Snoop Dogg. He has dated Kim Kardashian, and in February 2007, a pornographic home video he made with her in 2003 was made public. Kardashian sued Vivid Entertainment for ownership of the tape. In late April 2007, Kardashian dropped the suit and settled with Vivid Entertainment for $5 million.

Discography

;Studio albums

''Everything You Want'' (1997)

''This Ain't a Game'' (2001)

''Raydiation'' (2005)

''All I Feel'' (2008)

''Raydiation 2'' (2012)

;Soundtrack albums

''For the Love of Ray J'' (2009)

Filmography

Film

''The Enemy Within (1994 TV Movie)

''Once Upon a Time...When We Were Colored'' (1996)

''Mars Attacks!'' (1996)

''Steel'' (1997)

''Christmas at Water's Edge'' (2003)

''Envy'' (2008)

''A Day in the Life'' (2009)

Television

''Black Sash''

''BET Countdown''

''All That'', guest singer

''Wild N Out''

''Television Ads'' (1989–1993)

''The Sinbad Show'' (1993–1994)

''Moesha'' (1999–2001)

''One on One'' (2005–2006)

''For the Love of Ray J'' (2009–2010)

''Brandy and Ray J: A Family Business'' (2010–present)

References

External links

On Set of Ray J’s Video Last Wish

Category:1981 births Category:Living people Category:Actors from California Category:Actors from Mississippi Category:African American film actors Category:African American musicians Category:African American rappers Category:African American television actors Category:American male singers Category:American rhythm and blues singers Category:American child actors Category:Atlantic Records artists Category:Musicians from California Category:Musicians from Mississippi Category:Participants in American reality television series Category:People from Los Angeles County, California Category:People from McComb, Mississippi Category:Rappers from Los Angeles, California

de:Ray J es:Ray-J fr:Ray J it:Ray J ja:レイ・ジェイ pl:Ray J pt:Ray J simple:Ray J fi:Ray J sv:Ray J vi:Ray J

name	Kevin Jonas
spouse	Danielle Jonas (2009–present)
background	solo_singer
birth name	Paul Kevin Jonas II
nicknames	Kevin Jonas, K2, KevThe Original Jonas, SOS dancer, Guitar Hero
birth date	November 05, 1987
Birth place	Teaneck, New Jersey, U.S.
origin	Wyckoff, New Jersey, U.S.
occupation	Actor, musician, director
instrument	Vocals, guitar, mandolin, piano
genre	Pop rock, teen pop
years active	2005–present
label	Columbia (2005 -2007) Hollywood (2007 - 2012) Jonas (2009 - present)
spouse	Danielle Deleasa (2009–Present)
website	JonasBrothers.com
notable instruments	Gibson ExplorerGibson Les Paul }}

Paul Kevin Jonas II (born November 5, 1987), better known as Kevin Jonas and K2, is an American musician and actor. He is the oldest member of the Jonas Brothers, a pop rock band he created with his younger brothers Joe and Nick. The Jonas Brothers originally started as a solo singing career for Nick, but when Joe and Kevin sang backup for him, the record producer liked their sound and signed all three of them with Columbia Records. In 2008, he appeared on ''People'' magazine's list of the Sexiest Men Alive. On December 19, 2009, he married Danielle Deleasa, whom he had met in the Bahamas in summer of 2007.

Early life

Kevin Jonas was born in Teaneck, New Jersey, and grew up in Wyckoff. His mother, Denise (born Miller), is a former sign language teacher and singer, and his father, Paul Kevin Jonas, Sr., is a songwriter, musician, and former ordained minister at an Assemblies of God church. He is of Italian (from a great-grandfather), German, Irish, English, Cherokee, and French-Canadian descent. He has three younger brothers, Joe (born 1989), Nick (born 1992) and Frankie (born 2000).

Career

Music

In early 2005, Columbia Records' new president, Steve Greenberg, listened to Nick's record. While Greenberg did not like the album, he did like Nick's voice. After hearing the song "Please Be Mine", written and performed by all the brothers, Daylight/Columbia Records decided to sign the three as a group act. After being signed to Columbia, the brothers considered naming their group "Sons of Jonas" before settling on the name "Jonas Brothers".

''It's About Time'', the brothers' first album, was released on August 8, 2006. According to the band's manager, it was only a "limited release" of a little over 50,000 copies. Because Sony was not interested in further promoting the band, the Jonas Brothers then considered switching labels. The band was ultimately dropped by Columbia Records in early 2007.

After shortly being without a label, the Jonas Brothers signed with Hollywood Records in February 2007. Around the same time, the brothers began appearing in GAP commercials for Baby Bottle Pops, singing the jingle. Their self-titled second album, ''Jonas Brothers'', was released on August 7, 2007. It reached number five on the ''Billboard'' Hot 200 chart in its first week.

The Jonas Brothers' third studio album, ''A Little Bit Longer'', was released in the United States on August 12, 2008 and peaked at #1 on the ''Billboard'' 200.

On June 16, 2009, the brothers' fourth studio album, and third release under Hollywood Records, entitled ''Lines, Vines, and Trying Times'' was released. The album peaked at number 1 on the Billboard 200 with 247,000 copies sold. It was announced on May 1, 2012, that the Jonas Brothers parted ways with their record label Hollywood Records. They bought the rights to their music.

Acting

On August 17, 2007, Jonas and his brothers guest-starred in an episode of ''Hannah Montana'' entitled Me and Mr. Jonas and Mr. Jonas and Mr. Jonas. The episode debuted alongside the television film ''High School Musical 2'' and a sneak peek of the new Disney Channel show ''Phineas and Ferb''. The episode broke basic cable records with a record 10.7 million viewers and became basic cable's most watched series telecast ever.

Jonas and his brothers filmed the Disney Channel Original Movie ''Camp Rock'', where they played a band called "Connect Three". Kevin played Jason, a guitarist; Nick played Nate, also a guitarist; and Joe played the lead male role and lead singer, Shane Gray. A soundtrack for the movie was released on June 17, 2008. The movie premiered on June 20, 2008 in the U.S.A., on Disney Channel, and Canada, on Family. Production began on the sequel, ''Camp Rock 2: The Final Jam'', in September 2009, and the film premiered on September 3, 2010.

The Disney Channel reality short series, ''Jonas Brothers: Living the Dream'', premiered on Disney Channel on May 16, 2008. The show, which ran until September 5, 2008, documented the brothers' lives on the ''Look Me in the Eyes'' Tour. The name was inspired by their hit song ''When You Look Me in the Eyes''. The series was renewed for a second season that premiered on March 21, 2010. The second season followed the band on the European leg of their World Tour 2009.

He and Joe, Nick, and Frankie starred in their own Disney Channel Original Series, ''JONAS'', which premiered May 2, 2009. The show was renewed for a second season that premiered on June 20, 2010 as ''Jonas L.A.'', centering on the three brothers on summer vacation, in their Los Angeles vacation house with Stella and Macy.

Jonas appeared on MTV's fourth episode of ''When I Was 17'' (Season 1), talking about his memories from when he was seventeen.

Kevin Jonas guest hosted on "Live with Kelly" on December 13, 2011 making him the second brother besides Nick to having the honor of doing so.

Starting on August 19, 2012, the eldest Jonas brother will appear in an E! reality series alongside his wife Danielle and brothers Nick and Joe. Produced by Ryan Seacrest, "Married to Jonas" will document the young couple's domestic life as well as the brothers' recording efforts as they prepare to release their newest group album.

Personal life

Jonas married Danielle Deleasa, a former hairdresser, at Oheka Castle on December 19, 2009, with his brothers Joe Jonas and Nick Jonas as his best men. They met while on vacation with their families in The Bahamas in 2007.

Filmography

Film
! Year	! Film	! Role	! Notes
	''Hannah Montana & Miley Cyrus: Best of Both Worlds Concert''	Himself	3D Concert film
''Camp Rock''	Jason	Made for television
	''Jonas Brothers: The 3D Concert Experience''	Himself	3D Concert film
''Band in a Bus''	Himself	Reality DVD
''Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian''	Cherub	Feature Film
2010	''Camp Rock 2: The Final Jam''	Jason	Made for television
2011	''Jonas Brothers: The Journey''	Himself	(Unauthorized Documentary)
Television
! Year !! Title !! Role !! Notes
2007	''Hannah Montana''	Himself	"Me and Mr. Jonas and Mr. Jonas and Mr. Jonas" (Season 2, Episode 16)
2008, 2010	''Jonas Brothers: Living the Dream''	Himself	Reality series
2009–2010	''Jonas L.A.''	Kevin Percy Lucas	Also known as ''JONAS'', main role, 34 episodes
	''Married To Jonas''	Himself	(Docu-soap) airs august 2012
Guest appearances
! Year !! Title !! Role !! Notes
	''Studio DC: Almost Live''	Himself	Second show
''Extreme Makeover: Home Edition''	Himself	"The Akers Family" (Season 6, Episode 2)
2009	''Saturday Night Live''	Himself	February 14, 2009 episode
	''Minute to Win It''	Himself (contestant)	Game show (May 12, 2010 episode) Won $250,000 for his charity despite failing the ninth challenge
''Extreme Makeover: Home Edition''	Himself	"The Heathcock Family" (Season 7, Episode 17)
''When I Was 17''	Himself	Documentary; Featured Performer

References

External links

Category:1987 births Category:Actors from New Jersey Category:American Christians Category:American film actors Category:American male singers Category:American mandolinists Category:American musicians of Italian descent Category:American people of Cherokee descent Category:American people of German descent Category:American people of Irish descent Category:American people of Native American descent Category:American pop guitarists Category:American singer-songwriters Category:American television actors Category:Jonas Brothers Category:Jonas Brothers members Category:Living people Category:Musicians from New Jersey Category:People from Wyckoff, New Jersey

ar:كيفن جوناس bg:Кевин Джонас ca:Kevin Jonas cs:Kevin Jonas da:Kevin Jonas de:Kevin Jonas et:Kevin Jonas es:Kevin Jonas eu:Kevin Jonas fr:Kevin Jonas id:Kevin Jonas it:Kevin Jonas hu:Kevin Jonas nl:Kevin Jonas no:Kevin Jonas nn:Kevin Jonas pl:Kevin Jonas pt:Kevin Jonas ro:Kevin Jonas ru:Джонас, Кевин sl:Kevin Jonas sh:Kevin Jonas fi:Kevin Jonas sv:Kevin Jonas tl:Kevin Jonas tr:Kevin Jonas vi:Kevin Jonas