ELI5: Explain Like I'm 5

Autogamy

Autogamy is a big word that means when a single organism can reproduce by itself, without needing another organism to help.

Imagine you have a toy that can make more toys just like it without the help of any other toy. That's kind of like autogamy!

In the same way, some organisms like bacteria, algae, and some plants can have babies all by themselves. They don't need another organism to come along and give them special cells or parts to make the baby.

This happens because these organisms have special cells called gametes that are able to join together and create a new offspring all on their own. It's like they can clone themselves!

So, just like you might make a new toy by using pieces from other toys, some living things can make new babies by using only parts from themselves. And that's autogamy in a nutshell.