Self-fertilization

Self-fertilization is when a plant or animal can make babies all by itself without needing help from another plant or animal. Imagine if you had a magic button on your belly that could make a baby grow inside of you without needing anyone else to help you. Self-fertilization is kind of like that!

Some plants and animals are able to do this naturally. They have special parts inside of them that can create both male and female reproductive cells, which are kind of like tiny seeds. These reproductive cells can join together to make a new baby, just like when a mommy and daddy plant or animal make a baby together.

It might seem kind of weird that something can make babies all by itself, but it can actually be really helpful. If a plant or animal lives in an area where there aren't very many other plants or animals around, it might be really hard for it to find a mate to make babies with. But if it can self-fertilize, it can still have babies without needing any help from anyone else.

Overall, self-fertilization is a pretty neat trick that some plants and animals can do. It might not be something that you can do yourself, but it's still pretty cool to learn about!