
A mother is the social female parent of an offspring.
In the case of a mammal such as a human, the biological mother gestates her child (called first an embryo, then a fetus) in the womb from conception until the fetus is sufficiently well-developed to be born. The mother then goes into labour and gives birth. Once the child is born, the mother produces milk, a process called lactation, to feed the child.
In non-sexual organisms, "mother" can sometimes be used to mean "parent"; in the case of single-celled organisms that reproduce by fission, the mother is a cell that divides to produce "daughters".
Mothers typically have a very important role in raising children, and the title mother can be given to a woman other than a biological parent who fills this role. This is most commonly either an adoptive mother or a stepmother (the wife of a child's father). Nowadays, with advances in reproductive technologies, the function of biological motherhood can be split between the genetic mother (who provides the ovum) and the gestational mother (who carries the pregnancy), and in theory neither might be the social mother (the one who brings up the child).
The term mother can also refer to a person with stereotypical traits of a mother such as nurturing and other-centredness... more

Mother - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Thu, 02 Sep 2010 07:11:00 GMT A mother is a woman who has conceived, given birth to, or raised a child in the role of a parent. [1] Because of the complexity and differences of a mothers' social, cultural ... Visit
mother: Definition, Synonyms from Answers.com Tue, 31 Aug 2010 22:15:00 GMT mother n. A female person who is pregnant with or gives birth to a child. A female person whose egg unites with a sperm, resulting in the conception Visit
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mother - definition of mother by the Free Online Dictionary ... Tue, 31 Aug 2010 08:10:00 GMT mother 1 (m r) n. 1. a. A female person who is pregnant with or gives birth to a child. b. A female person whose egg unites with a sperm, resulting in the conception of a child. Visit
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Mother Mother - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Sun, 29 Aug 2010 16:19:00 GMT Mother Mother is a five-piece Canadian indie rock band originally from Quadra Island, now based in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. Mother Mother consists of Ryan Guldemond ... Visit
Mother Teresa: Biography from Answers.com Tue, 31 Aug 2010 08:39:00 GMT Mother Teresa , Religious Figure / Humanitarian Born: 27 August 1910 Birthplace: Skopje, Macedonia Died: 5 September 1997 Best Known As: Humanitarian Visit
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