ABSTRACT
Some organisms, such as starfish, bacteria and many plant species, are capable of producing asexually; that is, they do not require a sexual partner. The population consists of females that simply produce copies of themselves-so-called clones. Humans are not like this and from an evolutionary perspective it is imperative that individuals of sexually reproducing species like ourselves find a mate. It is through mating that genes (the ‘immortal replicators’ to use Dawkins’ phrase) secure their passage to the next generation. It is hardly surprising then that sex is an enormously powerful driving force in the lives of humans and is attended to with a sometimes irrational and desperate urgency. In its most elemental form, sex consists of the fusion of two gametes: one from the male (the sperm) and one from the female (the ovum).
