mating
Sign in to savethumb|250px|Blue-tailed damselfly|Blue-tailed damselflies(Ischnura elegans) mating
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Mating is the process by which male and female animals reproduce together, as shown here by these blue-tailed damselflies joining their bodies. It matters because mating is essential for species to create offspring and continue their populations across generations.
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thumb|250px|Blue-tailed damselfly|Blue-tailed damselflies(Ischnura elegans) mating
In biology, mating refers to the pairing of either opposite-sex or hermaphroditic organisms for the purpose of sexual reproduction. For most species, mating is between two individuals of opposite sexes; however, for hermaphroditic species, copulation is not required because the parent organism is capable of self-fertilization (autogamy). The basis of this is a process called fertilization, which is the fusion of two gametes. One gamete from the female (egg) and one gamete from the male (sperm) is used for fertilization. Copulation is the union of the sex organs of two sexually reproducing animals for insemination and subsequent internal fertilization. Mating may also lead to external fertilization, as seen in amphibians, bony fishes and plants. The term mating also applies to similar processes in fungi and unicellular protists.